


Spider-Man: Farther From Home

by toad_in_the_road



Series: Firestarter [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Stranger Things (TV 2016), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 80s, 80s Era, Angst, BACK ON MY BULLSHIT, Crossover, Dad Hopper, Gen, Government Conspiracy, Government Experimentation, Hurt Peter Parker, LSD, Marvel x Stranger things, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Other, Sick Peter Parker, Telekinesis, Time Travel, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Young Tony Stark, im gay, pre-season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-08-23 06:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20237992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toad_in_the_road/pseuds/toad_in_the_road
Summary: Peter Parker was having a good day.Then he got a blast from the past, ended up hundreds of miles away from Queens, got kidnapped by the government, and is now dealing with some weird portal.Oh, and his new friend can move things with her mind.Just another day being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.





	1. Red

"Mr. Stark, I promise I won't mess anything up. I just wanna like...screw something in." Peter begged, staring at what was probably one of the coolest things he had ever seen.

Mr. Stark gave him a sideways look. "The way you said that somehow makes me less confident." 

What started as a simple request to fix his suit's eyes had turned into the discovery that Tony was creating a sort of portal, one that could transport the Avengers wherever they needed in seconds.

"When you're done testing it to make sure it doesn't like, make anyone sterile or whatever, can I use it to run errands? Traffic is a nightmare." Peter said. He thought it was a perfectly reasonable request, but Mr. Stark gave him that look whenever Peter tried to walk off a serious injury or said something a bit dumb.

Peter coughed. "Or I'll drive. Driving's fine."

"Yeah. It better be." Mr. Stark stood up, clapping his hands together. "Okay! Ready to test it out?" 

"I get to go through it?!" Peter asked breathlessly.

Mr. Stark gave him the look again. "Um, absolutely not. You can just stand behind the blast doors with me and watch the first test."

"Oh," Peter said, turning red, but perked up. "That's pretty cool too." 

Mr. Stark grinned, amused, and motioned him behind the blast door. He placed an apple on a pedestal and pressed a few buttons. The round portal gateway lit up red, and there was a loud popping sound that made Peter's enhanced ears hurt. He winced, and Mr. Stark cast him a look.

"You okay?" He asked when the machine died down. 

Peter nodded immediately. "Yeah! Just a little louder and brighter than I thought-the apple's gone!" He pointed.

Mr. Stark glanced up, saw it was true and rushed out. "Where was it supposed to go?" Peter asked.

"Beats me. The focus here was trying to get it to go. Refining comes in the later stages." Mr. Stark must have caught Peter's disappointed look and smiled at him. "It's a process, kid. Can't rush a great idea. Otherwise, it comes out crappy." 

Peter opened his mouth to speak, but froze in shock. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of movement in the portal. Like a grey dog.

"Mr. Stark did you see-" He never got a chance the finish. The world turned red and bright, and there was buzzing the seemed to fill the air and resonate through every part of him. He was falling, down down down down down...

And then the redness faded to black, and there was no more.


	2. A Blast From the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaw

Peter jolted up very suddenly, panting and confused. Where was he?! What was happening?!

The confusion only heightened and turned into fear when he saw two men standing on the sides of him jumped with immense guns, aiming them at him.

Peter squeaked. "Don't shoot!" He went to put his hands up, but he couldn't. Restraints held him down, forcing him into a seat position.

"He's up!" One of the guards yelled, kicking the metal door. Peter looked around desperately. He was in a small white room that reminded him of an insane asylum. There was a small security camera in the corner and a large mirror that looked like it was two-way glass.

The door opened, and a tall man with white hair and a scar across his face came in, eyeing Peter like he was an interesting bug he had found.

"Where am I?! Who are you?!" Peter asked, looking around desperately. He could easily break the restraints, but he wasn't sure if he should reveal his powers. Especially for these people. "Where's Mr. Stark?!" He asked, suddenly realizing his lack of trusted adult supervision.

"Stark?" The man with white hair asked. "Like the weapons designer?"

"What? No. He hasn't made weapons for like...a decade?" Peter said, confused. "You know. Iron Man?"

The man stared at him. "...you two. Leave." He said, nodding at the guard. The guards looked unsure but shuffled out.

Now Peter was alone with this dude who seemed like a pedophile.

He smiled at Peter, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "So, son. Have a name?" He asked, sitting down in an uncomfortable-looking metal chair. Peter didn't answer.

"I'm Dr. Martin Brenner. I work here. Do you know where you are?" He asked. Peter shook his head. Brenner chuckled. "You're in the underground facility of the Hawkins National Laboratory."

"Hawkins? Is that upstate? Or...oh shit, am I in New Jersey?!" Peter looked around wildly.

Brenner laughed, but it sounded mechanical. "No no. You're in Indiana."

Oh.

"So what's your name, son?" Brenner asked again. Peter clenched his teeth, glaring venomously.

Now Brenner started looking annoyed, and he pulled something out of his pocket. A bruised apple. "Do you know what this is?" He asked.

Peter stared at him. "An...apple?"

Brenner smiled, looking like a crocodile. "A very odd apple. You see, we're working on a project here. Working on cleaning up...an accident from it. So imagine our surprise when this apple appeared. Followed shortly after by you." He examined the apple. "So, son, we would appreciate it if you could help us out. You'd be doing your country a great service, and I'm sure I could arrange your release after that. All we need first is a name."

Peter wasn't listening anymore. His mind was racing. _Oh my God,_ he panicked. _That portal sent me to some kind of government cover-up. And now they want me to help. Do they know about my powers? Oh shit, my web-shooters! They didn't see them, did they?_

"Well?" Brenner interrupted his thoughts. Peter wriggled, feeling relief when he felt his web-shooters, and pushed them down the sleeves of his shirt carefully, concealing them completely.

"Well what? You want me to help you cover up a mistake you made so Twitter doesn't attack you? No thanks, man. I'll pass. It's illegal to hold a U.S citizen without reason, and I didn't do anything. So let me go before you get in more trouble." Peter snapped.

For a second Brenner looked surprised, and Peter felt smug satisfaction. Then his spidey-sense, which had been prickling up until now, screamed _DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGER-_

Brenner punched him in the face.

It didn't hurt much, Peter had had far worse hits, but he yelped more so in shock that the man went from trying to get his name to punching him. Peter felt blood running down his lip. That better not be broken.

"What the hell, man?!" He sputtered.

"What's Twitter?!" Brenner yelled, suddenly in intense interrogation mode. "A secret weapon? A code name?! Who do you work for?!"

Peter leaned back, startled. "How do you not know what Twitter is?! It's 2018! I thought all politician people had one!"

Brenner froze, looking startled. "2018..." He said slowly.

"Yeah! Look, I don't know what you're trying to do, but let me out! I'm just a kid, man! I gotta go home!" Peter said, wriggling desperately.

Brenner didn't move. "It's not 2018. It's 1984." He said slowly, staring at Peter with fascination.

Peter stopped wriggling immediately. "...what?" Brenner didn't start laughing. Peter groaned. "Oh, you gotta be shitting me...I don't have time for time travel."

Brenner opened the door and nodded to the guards. "You can bring it in." He said. Peter stiffened, spidey-sense suddenly booming up again. The guard came in, this time one of them holding a tray with a long syringe on it, filled with what looked vaguely like egg yolk.

"Oh my God!" Peter shrieked. This seemed like a very good time to break out. He easily broke through the restraints, and the guards jumped back, terrified.

"What the hell are you waiting for?! Grab him!" Brenner yelled as Peter sprinted past them and down the halls. A loud alarm blared, and red sirens flashed. Peter clapped his hands over his eyes desperately, his panic making his senses dialed up to impossibly painful levels. And distracting.

He slammed into a pair of guards, and they quickly grabbed him, lifting him off the ground and dragging him back to Brenner. Peter thrashed and shrieked, but for all his strength, it wasn't very useful if he didn't have anything to anchor himself to. With the men lifting him, he was essentially powerless, and he web-shooters were tantalizingly out of reach.

Brenner was panting, holding the syringe. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you son?" He said, smiling his crocodile smile.

"LET ME GO!" Peter screamed, flailing desperately, but it was useless. Brenner glared at him.

"You broke through solid iron restraints. Do you know what it takes to do that?" He grabbed a fistful of Peter's hair, ignoring his yelp when he forced his head up. "Quite a lot. This should be fascinating."

"Oh my God, oh my God, what is that?!" Peter panicked. He felt like he might throw up.

"That's for me to know," Brenner said, ignoring Peter's frantic pleas, sticking the long needle in his neck and pushing down the plunger. Peter almost immediately went limp, moaning.

"And for you to find out."

"M'ss'r St'rk." Peter said in a confused panic, but if what Brenner said was true, Mr. Stark wasn't here.

No one in 1984 was coming for him.


	3. 012

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so mad I can’t use material girl my Madonna in this book because that song came out a year later

Peter sat huddled in the corner of the dark, silent room they had put him in and tried to remember everything he could about MKUltra.

It was hard when his head was filled with what he was pretty sure was LSD.

If he remembered correctly, Project MKUltra was supposed to be a weird CIA project where they essentially tortured people to try and give them superpowers.

He had spotted the words on a piece of paper one of the scientists had been carrying, though he couldn't be sure if he actually did see it or just hallucinated it.

He had been stuck in a tiny room that was black and silent except for when it wasn't, and when it wasn't bright white lights shone down on Peter with a vengeance, and Brenner and his buddies came in to interrogate him and knock him around.

Or inject him with more of those chemicals.

The drugs blurred time and faces together, and Peter wasn't sure where he was half the time, and the other half he was hyper-aware in the worst way, his senses exacerbating themselves until he wondered he might just straight up go blind and deaf.

Sometimes he saw May, Ned, or Mr. Stark, but after the first few times, Peter stopped getting up to rejoice. It wasn't real.

Shuffling footsteps snapped Peter back to reality, and he shuffled backward, pressing himself against the corner of the wall. The door opened, and Peter winced, covering his face against the bright light.

Peter weakly tried to avoid the guards who grabbed him, but as usual, they grabbed him and Brenner injected him with more chemicals. This time it was different. His body went numb instead of hot and shaky, and his mind slowed instead of bouncing around uselessly like an ADHD kid on a sugar high.

The men grabbed him, dragging him down the hall, and Peter looked up dully, looking around. He blinked slowly, looking out a window into a large room. Men with hazmats gathered around what looked like a dark ivy-like growth, using flamethrowers to drive it back.

Peter blinked again, suddenly confused. He could think clearly. He could feel his limbs. How...?

_The injection!_ He realized. _It must have been a sedative, and I burned through it!_

He could escape.

But for now, he let his head drop, trying to stay relaxed. His mind raced, trying to find an exit. He had no idea where he was being taken, and Peter had a feeling that if he failed his escape a second time, he would be much worse off.

"Come on, hurry up. I can't be here for long." Brenner said, and a door suddenly opened up, shoving Peter into bright sunlight, making him wince. He was outside, being dragged towards a van labeled 'Hawkins Energy'.

Now or never.

Peter planted his feet in the dirt, swinging his arms forward, sending the men faceplanting into the dirt. He heard gunshots and his spidey-sense, so dulled until now, went haywire.

Peter ran.

He heard Brenner yelling something, but Peter didn't dare look back. When he reached the barbed wire fence, he shot a shaky web up, and it only barely hit a pine tree, and he pulled himself up and over, running, running, running, running...

Until he had to stop to throw up.

*** *** ***

Peter sat against a pine tree, body achy and shivering. One of his web-shooters was damaged, and his left forearm stung. He touched it carefully and winced. He rolled up his sleeve and froze. His web-shooter on that hand was gone, and the skin on his arm was red and inflamed around halfway up it.

In dark letters, 012 was tattooed to his skin.

"Aunt May is gonna kill me." He said out loud.

Peter had no idea what the tattoo meant, but he was fairly certain he didn't want too. He had no idea why they didn't take his other web-shooters, or if they even saw it, but he wasn't going to complain.

He couldn't even remember getting the tattoo.

Peter forced himself to his feet, rubbing his neck and eyes. It was cold out, probably mid-fall, and the temperature would plummet when the sun went down. He didn't fancy becoming a popsicle.

Peter trudged through the forest, jumping at every noise. He could only imagine what he looked like. His stomach growled viciously, and he hunched over. When was the last time he ate? He'd kill for that time traveling apple.

Peter paused, coming over a hill and seeing a small cabin. He knocked. No answer.

"Hello?" He called. Still no answer. The door was locked. Peter sighed, walking around the house, trying to find a way in.

A window.

Peter paused. "...I'll go in." He said out loud, trying to rationalize himself. "And I'll just get some food. I'll leave cash-" He reached in his now-empty pocket, but his ten-dollar bill meant for lunch was gone. It felt like a million years ago when things were normal and not in the 80s.

"No cash," Peter muttered. He paused, staring at the window. If he used his fingers, he might be able to pull the glass off and climb through the window as Puss did in Shrek 2. Peter stared at the window. "Morality is relative anyway." He said, setting to work, suddenly disconcerted when he realized he was talking to himself.

Maybe he was going crazy.

Peter easily pulled off the glass, climbing in the house, and put the glass back loosely. His face lit up when he saw a fridge. "Hell yeah." He muttered, digging through it. There wasn't much but a full box of frozen Eggo waffles. Peter didn't waste a moment, gnawing on a frozen solid waffle like a bizarre squirrel.

_DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGER-_

Peter whirled around to see a young girl staring at him in shock. She looked young, somewhere between eleven and thirteen years old. She had on jeans, a t-shirt and oversized flannel, and her short, dark, curly hair looked vaguely like a mop on her head. Her brown eyes bulged out of her pale face.

"Shit." Peter said quietly.

His spidey-sense was still going off, but that couldn't be right. It was a kid. It was probably out of whack from being drugged multiple times.

Peter managed to swallow a bite of his waffle and smiled nervously. "Hey." He said. The girl didn't respond. "Um...so I thought no one was home. Which is a really bad excuse now that I say it out loud, but I was really hungry, and if you could not call the cops on me, that would be awesome."

The girl said nothing.

"...I'm just gonna go then." Peter took a step towards the window, and the girl moved, swiping her hand like she was swatting a large bug away.

Clearly, Peter was still under the influence of the drugs, because he could have sworn after the girl moved, an invisible hand knocked Peter away with the force of the Hulk, smashing him into the wood cabinets, and hitting his head.

Whether it was real or not, it didn't change the fact that there was an explosion of pain in Peter's head, and everything went blurry, and then black.


	4. Brother?

For the second time, Peter jolted awake.

This time he wasn't restrained, but when he tried to stand, he couldn't move. He wriggled desperately, but it was like invisible handcuffs were holding him back.

"Stop." A quiet but authoritative voice said. Peter swung his head to the source, surprised to see the girl, sitting on her head, glaring at him. A trickle of blood ran down her nose.

_DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGER-_

"What...what did you do to me?!" Peter asked, panicked now. The girl didn't respond.

"Name?" She asked after a second.

"Peter. Peter Parker. Look, I'm sorry for breaking in, just let me go, I don't wanna hurt anyone!" He thrashed uselessly.

"Peter...Parker?" She asked, saying it slowly like it was a new food she had yet to decide if she liked or not.

"Yes, yes! Let me go!" He nearly begged.

She stared at him for another minute, though it felt like an eternity. "...brother?" She asked finally, sounding uncertain.

Peter stopped, looking back at her. "What? No, I'm 99% sure I'm not. Why would you...?"

"Twelve." She said simply. She rolled up her sleeve, displaying a 011 tattooed to her arm.

Peter stopped. Oh shit.

_They labeled me._

"...no. I'm sorry. I don't know you. I've never seen you before." Peter said, hoping that wasn't the wrong answer.

The girl looked disappointed and turned away. Peter felt the pressure on him disappear, and he stood up, rubbing his wrists. "So...who are you?" He asked. She glanced back.

"El." She said.

"Cool, cool. Nice to meet you El. Did you by chance...knock me out?" Peter asked.

"Yes." She said, not looking sorry for it at all.

"I accept your apology." Peter grumbled.

El raised her eyebrows. "I did not apologize-"

"No no, it was sarcasm," Peter said quickly, rolling down his sleeve. "You know, like when you say something that's the opposite of what you mean? Like, 'oh this is great' when things are not great in the slightest."

El nodded slowly. "Sarcasm..." She mused. She glanced at Peter. "You don't look like shit. Sarcasm?"

"Yeah, something like that," Peter said. "Why'd you knock me out?"

"Bad men." She said, motioning to her tattoo.

"You thought I was with them? Bad news, we're in the same boat it seems." He walked out of the room, back to where he was before she knocked him out. "You did that with your mind? Like telekinesis?"

"Yes." She said, wiping the blood from her nose. "What about you?"

"Me?" He asked, confused, then realized she was wondering what powers he had gained from unethical, illegal government experimentation. "Oh, I don't think anything. I had powers from something else."

"Something else?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm Spider-man. I'm a superhero." He said. El looked doubtful.

"Look, check this out." Peter rushed over to the old sofa, easily lifting it up with one hand. El didn't look particularly impressed.

"Boy, tough crowd." He set down the couch. "Oh, and this!" He started walking up the vertical ceiling, waving down at her when he was hanging upside down. "And this." He shot out a web to the other side of the wall.

"So...you are strong and sticky?" El asked.

"I wish you wouldn't phrase it like that, but in a nutshell, yeah, I guess. Spider powers. That's why I'm Spider-man." He un-stuck his feet, landing easily in front of El. "I also have kinda like, a sixth sense that tells me when danger is coming and stuff. I got it when I saw you."

"But you didn't run." El said.

"Well, yeah. I thought it was wrong. You don't dangerous." Peter said defensively. "I could do more cool things, but I don't have my suit with me. I left it..." Left it back in 2018.

"I gotta go back to the lab." Peter said.

El's eyes widened. "Bad place." She whispered.

"Bad place." Peter agreed. "But that's my only chance of getting home."

El seemed confused and looked like she was about to ask another question, but there was a knock at the door. "El? You there?" A male voice called out. Peter immediately scrambled onto the ceiling, putting his finger to his lips, silently pleading with El to be quiet. She stared at him for a moment, then looked at the door. At least five different locks came undone, and a large man with a beard walked in.

He glanced at the counter with the waffles still strewn across and sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you to put those back? Now they're gonna be all soggy."

"Sorry." El said. She cast a quick glance at Peter when the man wasn't looking. Peter crept towards the open door silently.

"Anything interesting happen today?" The man asked El. She shook her head. "Just watching TV?" She nodded.

"Wonderful." The man clapped his hands together, the loud and sudden noise making Peter flinch. El's eyes darted to him, and the man started to turn, making eye contact with an empty door just as Peter managed to scramble out, hugging the wall right above the door. The man seemed satisfied that no one was there, shutting the door.

Peter sighed in relief, shooting out a web and swinging away.

Though he never did get those waffles.


	5. Friendlier Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone talks about dad hopper but no one talks about mom joyce

Peter heaved a deep sigh, blowing hot air into his shaky hands. It had been...two? No, three days since he busted himself out of the lab, and the temperature continued to drop. Spiders couldn't thermoregulate, and if Peter thought Queen's winters were bad, they didn't have anything on October in Indiana. Though, usually at home when it got cold he wore more than jeans and a jacket over a t-shirt. 

He darted into a convenience store at a particularly cold breeze. He had found a five-dollar bill earlier today, maybe he could buy something useful.

"Can I help you?" Peter turned to see a woman behind the cash register. She looked familiar.

"Winona Ryder?!" He choked. The woman looked confused. 

"I'm sorry?" She asked. Peter coughed, embarrassed. 

"Sorry, uh...you kinda looked like someone I know. Um, do you have a bathroom I can use?" He asked. She smiled warmly. 

"Back left corner, sweetie. Let me know if you need anything."

Peter returned the smile thinly, walking down the aisles, trying to spot something that he could use to survive until he found a way home. He went into the bathroom and stopped dead.

There was a hobo in the mirror. He had sunken cheeks, pale skin, and his eyes were ringed with red. Peter ran a hand through his hair, and the hobo did as well, feeling the dirt and grime on his skin, and Peter was suddenly hyper-aware of how gross he was. The hobo was skinny, and Peter could see every single bone.

Peter forced a smile. So did the hobo.

"You look like shit." He told the hobo. The hobo seemed to agree. 

Quickly as he could, Peter went to the bathroom and spent the next few minutes trying to at least tidy himself up a little so he looked less like a crackhead. He glanced at his web-shooter. It was running low, but Peter didn't know if he would be able to replace it anytime soon. It was the only thing he had left from home. 

Peter gripped the sink tightly, clenching his teeth. "Don't panic." He muttered to himself. "That'll just take more energy."

He glared at the hobo in the mirror. "Get it together, Parker. You're Spider-man, for God's sake!"

The hobo didn't seem entirely sure. 

Peter came out of the bathroom, no better from when he entered. 

He spent a few minutes, scouring for the cheapest items. In the end, he could only afford a Snickers bar and a hat. The cashier pursed her lips, giving him a look of pity. 

"That's all." Peter said, reaching into his pocket, and-shit. Oh shit. 

His face must have reflected his dilemma because the cashier spoke up. "Everything okay, sweetie?" 

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I...I guess I dropped my money." Peter went to grab the items, but the cashier swept them up. 

"No worries, I buy them for you." She said, stuffing them in a bag.

"W-what? Ma'am, I can't pay you back-" Peter stuttered.

"I don't expect you too. It's freezing out there, and you look like a skeleton. Hang on." She rushed off, returning with a thick coat, a scarf, gloves, and an armful of food.

Peter stared at her in shock. "Ma'am-" 

"Shush. Just take it. You need it. Consider it my good deed for the day." She smiled at him, stuffing his items into a bag.

Peter suddenly felt very much like crying suddenly. "Thank you so much, Ms..." He looked at her nametag. "Byers."

"Please. Joyce is fine." She smiled warmly again. She reminded him achingly of Aunt May.

"Thank you so much, Joyce." He reached out to take the bag. 

"And what's your n-" She suddenly froze, as though Peter had stabbed her. 

"Are you okay-" Peter started, following her eyes and then freezing himself.

She was staring at his tattoo.

"Shit." Peter said under his breath. He yanked the bag away from Joyce, and by the time she had recovered from her shock to say something, he was long gone. 

By the time Peter stopped, alone in an alley behind a movie theatre, something inside him had broken. He roared, throwing the bag at the ground so hard it split.

Joyce seemed to know something about the tattoo, maybe more than Peter. Chances were she worked for Brenner. Now the manhunt would be doubled, and this time, Peter wouldn't be so lucky. 

It was just a matter of time before they got him and dissected him like a lab rat. 

Peter sank to the ground in choking sobs, curled behind a trash can. 

_I just wanna go home. _


	6. The Rogue Has Joined Your Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the kids!!!!!

Normally, Peter liked Halloween. 

He and Ned generally dressed up in extravagant costumes (bonus points if you made it yourself) and spent the better part of the night collecting candy. Then they would turn on old scary movies, and spend the night gorging on candy.

Tonight, however, Peter wandered the streets, trying not to look too much like a creeper. He must have not done a very good job, as trick-or-treaters avoided him like the plague. 

"I swear if I get one more 3 Muskateer I'm gonna kill myself!" He heard someone shout out behind him. A group of middle school kids shuffled around him, all the boys dressed as Ghostbusters, except for a ginger girl who was sporting a hockey mask and a fake machete. 

"Cool costumes," Peter said. They all turned to him, and Peter felt his face go red. "Ah...Ghostbusters is a good movie. So is Friday the 13th." He offered a weak smile to the kids, who just looked a bit freaked out by what appeared to be a homeless kid on drugs. He coughed. "Well, good chat. Bye." Peter turned on his heels, walking away quickly. 

_DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGER-_

Peter whirled around, trying to find the cause of such a violent premonition. But there was nothing. Except...one of the kids from the group hadn't left with his friends. He was deathly pale and had a light brown bowl cut. He seemed to be staring right at Peter...and right through him, with an undeniable expression of terror.

_DANGER!_

Peter decided not to tempt fate any longer, turning back around and walking briskly. As it happened, that was a good idea. He saw headlights, and he dove into the bushes right as a van labeled 'Hawkins Energy' cruised by.

_They're looking for me. _

Peter felt sick.

The van passed, and Peter counted to one hundred before shakily rising out of the bushes to leave. 

Those kids followed him, minus the ginger. They must have ditched her or something.

They're probably just going home, Peter rationalized. Why would they follow me? 

Nonetheless, he still picked up the pace. The kids followed suit. 

"Can I help you?" He asked, not slowing down. One of the boys-the black haired one-nudged the bowl cut kid. Peter stopped walking, but tensed, ready to sprint if things went wrong. Child agents? More likely than you think. 

The bowl cut kid came forward, and Peter's spidey-sense prickled, hackles raised. 

"I'm...pretty sure I saw you at my house a few days ago." The kid said.

*** *** *** 

"-and they're still doing their bullshit? Government has not changed." Peter said, swallowing a king-sized Hershey bar in one bite. Somehow (probably with food bribes) the kids had lured him back to one of their houses' and explained what Peter now personally dubbed 'The Shitstorm of '84'.

The black-haired kid-Mike-nodded. "So why did Will see you during one of his flashes?"

Peter shrugged, attacking an orange with savagery. "I dunno. Honestly? I don't think you'll believe my story. Even after that one." 

"Try me." Dustin, the teeth challenged one said.

Peter paused. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to talk about it. It hurt. It hurt a lot. 

"...I'm Peter Parker. I'm from 2018." He said.

A silence fell over the group.

"Anyway, so I was on a field trip to this biotech company-is biotech invented yet? I dunno, it doesn't matter too much and I got bitten by a radioactive spider. It kinda gave me superpowers? I have like enhanced hearing and sight, I have super strength, and I can stick to walls and stuff." Peter took a deep breath. "I made these." He rolled up his sleeve and showed off his web-shooter. "It shoots out a webbing I made so I can web up bad guys and swing from places and stuff like that." 

"You only have one? Can you shoot some web now?" Lucas asked. 

"I had two, they took the other. And I'm running low, I don't wanna use it up." Peter said.

"Who's they?" Dustin asked, but Mike paused.

"The lab." He stared at Peter in horror. "You were at the lab."

Peter's face turned red, uncomfortable. "...I was working on a portal thing with Mr. Stark-you don't know him, don't worry about it, and it sucked me in. I blacked out, and woke up in 1984."

"Did they do anything to you?" Will asked breathlessly.

_Oh ho ho ho. If you had any idea what lies behind those doors you would want me as far away as possible if it meant they might come for me. I wouldn't blame you, I'd run myself. I will run. Because the last thing I need when they're lining up to clone me and dissect me and take my brain apart is watching them line up a firing squad of kids who knew too much. _

Peter smiled. "Nah. I got out easily. Super strength, remember?" 

Mike bit his lip. "This isn't good. Something's going on."

Peter sighed, running a hand down his face. "What happened to the redhead girl? Wasn't she with you guys?" 

"Max? She doesn't know about all this." Mike said.

"So you ditched her. Kind of a jerk move." Peter said.

"Funny, I said something like that." Lucas spat, glaring at Mike.

"Do you want more people involved? The more people involved, the more likely the wrong person hears about this." Mike snapped. Peter gulped, inching back into the blanket tent that was set up. What did he start?

"Mike? It's late, your friends need to go home!" A woman called down. Peter stiffened, instantly nervous. 

"COMING! ONE SECOND!" Mike yelled up, making Peter flinched. His senses were still out of whack from a combination of cold, LSD lingering in his system, and near starvation. 

"Just stay down here. She's never come down here." Mike said. "We can sneak you into our school tomorrow so you can get supplies to make more web stuff." 

"I'll get some of my brother's clothes." Will volunteered. 

Dustin dug through his candy bag and handed Peter a few packs of Starburst. "I can't eat these. With my teeth and stuff." 

Peter nodded, smiling wanly. "Thanks."

Eventually, Mike Wheeler's basement cleared out, and it was quiet. Peter tried to stay awake, all too tangible nightmares of Mike's mother calling the cops on him and getting him sent back to the lab playing in his mind. But basic needs were more powerful than fear, and a warm place to sleep was a recently regained luxury.

Peter Parker closed his eyes and slept, dreamlessly and deeply.


	7. The Bite

El wandered the silent blackness, looking for a face she had never needed to search for before. 

Not far off, there was a blanket fort, with a huddled mass hiding inside. El walked forward slowly, hearing nothing but slow breathing and the shallow water under her feet. "Peter?" She called out quietly.

No answer.

She knelt next to the mass, gently tapping it. "Peter Parker." She said, a little more stern. This time, she was rewarded with a groan, and Peter, in all his disheveled and smelly glory, rolled over to face her. He looked okay. Skinnier, and more delicate no doubt, but not the same glass-like fragility he had when she first saw him after what she assumed was his escape. 

"Peter." She poked him insistently.

Peter sleepily waved her off. "Five more minutes, May." He slurred. 

"Peter. It's El." She continued to poke him. "Where are you?"

Peter's eyes snapped open, and he jolted up with a gasp as though he forgot how to breathe. El jumped back, startled. Peter looked around, seemingly terrified until he settled his wide eyes on El, seeming to look right at her and through her at the same time. He reached out, looking unsure. Then he dropped his hand, seemed to clear his head, and stood up, rubbing his face. 

Twelve couldn't see Eleven anymore.

***

Dustin burst into class, panting and out of breath, rambling breathless apologies to Mr. Clarke. He collapsed into his seat, turning to his friends clustered around him. "We gotta meet in the AV room at lunch. I got something you won't believe."

"What about Peter?" Mike whispered back. "He's hiding in there." 

"He can see it too! Maybe he can cement my discovery in the future." Dustin said. Dustin turned to Max and nodded at her, she straightened, looking interested. "AV club." He mouthed. She grinned.

Finally, those stupid boys included her. 

*** *** ***

Peter gagged in the school bathroom, flushing his third round of vomit down the toilet. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to go ham on all that food, but he couldn't help himself. 

The kids had told him to stay in the AV room, preferably the closet, but he doubted the janitor wanted him puking all over the expensive equipment. 

He leaned against the bathroom wall, legs sprawled out, panting. Drugging and starvation weren't things you bounced back from, even if you were Spider-man. 

He looked down at his enhanced body, scowling. "Thanks for nothing." He scolded.

He felt the bile rise in his throat and leaned over the toilet for another round of dry heaving.

Once that was over, Peter stood up shakily, listening to see if there was any activity outside. It was quiet outside. He peeked out, slowly inching back to the AV room. 

When he finally got back, he swung the door open.

The kids were already there, flanked by the redhead, Max.

All eyes turned to him. He froze. 

"...who are you?" Max asked accusingly. 

_Play dumb!_

"I'm Lucas' brother." Peter blurted out.

_Not that dumb!_

Max clearly didn't believe him, looking at Lucas for a real explanation. "Foster brother! He's my foster brother." Lucas explained quickly. 

Max glared back at Peter. "Oh yeah? Why are you in foster care?" She asked.

"My parents died in a plane crash. I lived with my aunt and uncle and then my uncle got shot and my aunt couldn't take care of me." Peter said easily. 

"Why are you here?" She asked.

Oh. That wasn't so easily answered. "I...Lucas forgot his lunch. I was dropping it off." 

Max narrowed her eyes even further. "We already ate lunch." She said. 

Peter swallowed. "That explains why I couldn't find it."

"What-"

"Hey hey, let's focus here!" Dustin said, leaning over a small box. "Discovery of a lifetime, remember?" 

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked, stepping forward. Dustin held up what looked like something Peter recently saw in a toilet. Then the thing wriggled and chittered.

"What is that?" Peter asked, coming closer for a better look. 

"It's like a pollywog. But I think I discovered an entirely new species. Wanna hold it?" Dustin thrust the thing into Peter's hands. The thing promptly hissed, biting him.

"Dammit!" Peter yelped, dropping it immediately. 

"Oh shit, oh shit. Dart, what the hell?!" Dustin scooped it up immediately, and Peter held the edge of his coat up to his bleeding hand. 

"You named it?! Now you're gonna get attached to it!" Peter said. 

"He's nice!" Dustin protested.

"He bit me!" 

"He didn't bite anybody else!"

"Cool, I'm the only one it doesn't like. I feel so much better." Peter said sarcastically, peeking at his wound. He needed better lighting. His blood looked darker than usual. 

The ring rang out like a scream, and Peter winced. 

The thing hissed at him again. 

_DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER-_

Peter's eyes widened. "I-" But the kids had already left.

Will still stood there, looking unsure. Peter turned to him. 

"That thing is dangerous." He said.

Will looked at him and nodded. "I know."


	8. The Chase

"Mr. Stark, if I make it back alive, I will never frustrate you again." Peter muttered, rushing through the halls of the school. Those idiot kids had released Dart, and now the thing was running rampant in the school, doing who knows what.

"I'm never having kids." He declared to himself, leaning down to look under a table. 

His walkie talkie crackled, and Dustin's voice rang out. "Rogue, any sign of him?"

Peter clicked the button. "Nope. No sign of it. Also, why am I the only one with a code name?"

The walkie talkie static crackled, making Peter flinch. He already had a migraine. "Because you're covert. If someone's listening they can't tell it's you." 

"Dude, it's a walkie talkie. No one's listening. And if I need a code name, call me Spider-man." Peter said. Would he have grey hairs by the end of this? Probably.

"We haven't seen anything that proves you spider-like. You gotta show us." Lucas said.

"My powers aren't for party tricks! They're serious! With great power comes great responsibility!" Peter protested. 

Silence. And then the radio crackled. "That's lame. Hey, how'd you come up with that backstory so fast? With Max and all." Mike asked.

"Because it's true except for my aunt not keeping me." 

THAT shut them up.

"Now can we please focus on the task at hand?!" Peter pleaded. 

"Okay, okay. Radio in with any sign of him." Dustin said. 

Peter continued through the halls, pausing when he saw a water fountain. "Thank God." He muttered, slurping up water into his dry, pukey mouth.

_DANGER DANGER DANGER!_

Peter jolted straight up, looking around desperately. There was nothing. There was nothing. There had to be nothing. Last time he was buzzed like this was-

Peter felt it before he heard it. 

Blazing agony raced up his leg, and he screamed, holding onto the water fountain for support. The walkie talkie crackled. "What the hell was that?! Gunshots?!"

"Get out of the school!" Peter yelled, scrambling to his feet and limping off. He heard heavy footsteps behind him. He darted around the corner and ducked into the AV room, locking the door and webbing it shut with the last of his supply. He stood back, suppressing the cries of pain that bubbled up in his throat.

"Where is he?! He went down this way." A voice said. Peter breathed a silent sigh of relief. No Brenner. 

If he just waited for them to pass...

"Rogue, do you copy? Are you okay?"

Oh no. Dustin, please.

"Spider-man?"

The footsteps neared the AV room...

"Peter?" 

"HE'S IN HERE!" The doorknob jiggled, and when that didn't work, the men started shooting at the door and trying to kick it down. 

Peter stumbled back. "You guys need to leave now. I can hold them off, but you need to run." He said in the walkie talkie.

"Are you crazy?! Where are you?! We're coming now!" Lucas said. 

"Guys, where's Will?!" Mike chimed in.

"Go find Will! Get out of here! Don't come back!" Peter yelled.

"No way! We never leave a man behind-"

The gunshots, the pain, and the static of the walkie talkie snapped something in Peter. 

"THIS ISN'T FUCKING NASA, LUCAS!" Peter screamed into the walkie talkie. "GET YOUR ASSES OUT OF HERE NOW!"

The door burst open, and Peter yelped, falling back, hands up-

Then it was quiet. 

Peter looked up warily, seeing the bodies of the (hopefully unconscious) men lying on the ground. In the doorway stood a familiar figure.

"Hey, El." Peter said breathlessly, dizzy. El smiled back at him shyly. 

"Hi Peter."


	9. The Secret

"Ow ow ow ow..." Peter muttered, not daring to look down at his blood-soaked leg. He leaned on El for support and the shorter girl struggled to hold him up.

She gave him a concerned look, but Peter waved her off. "I'm okay. I've had worse."

Peter breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the group of kids off in the distance. But El stopped. "Hey, you okay?" Peter asked.

"Mike." El whispered. Peter nodded.

"He's there. You...know him?"

She slowly nodded. "Friends."

Peter smiled weakly. "Well, that's good. They're my friends too."

El nodded again, pushing open the door with a quick jerk of her head. Peter raised his hand to wave, and then halted.

There was so-called Winona Ryder.

Joyce Byers caught his eye, whirled around from the kids (clustered around Will?) and started marching to him.

"Oh no. Turn around turn around!" Peter hissed. El didn't move, looking confused. Peter pulled away from her, trying to hobble away, but he tripped on the pavement, immediately going down.

"You!" She yelled. Peter flinched, trying to scoot away. "What the hell did you do to my son?!"

"Nothing! I don't even know who you're talking about!" Peter yelped.

"You damn well do-oh, you're bleeding!" She switched off instantly, looking concerned.

"El!" Dustin and Lucas raced forward, tackling her with a hug. El grinned, looking ecstatic. Mike hung from the back, looking unsure how to approach El.

"Peter! Oh my God, are you okay?!" Dustin turned to him.

Peter forced another shaky smile. "Yeah. They just grazed me. I'm okay." Joyce grabbed his arm, helping him up to his feet.

"You three, go home." Joyce ordered the boys.

"What?! Are you serious?! We wanna help!" Lucas protested. Mike opened his mouth, looking finally ready to speak, but Joyce cut them off.

"No. Go home right now or I'll call your parents. I'm calling Hopper, and I promise we'll get you guys when it's all sorted out. Okay?" Joyce said, leading Peter away. "El, come on!"

El paused, staring at Mike for a long moment. She offered him a shy smile. "See you soon." She said quietly.

*** *** ***

Peter thought Bob Newby must've really, really liked Joyce to put up with all this.

He freaked out a bit when Joyce brought home her half-catatonic son with a young girl and a bleeding teen, but he took it into stride, letting Peter collapse on their couch and not complaining when Peter got blood all over it, and he didn't say anything when El stared creepily at him.

Respect.

"So...I don't suppose you know anything about what happened last fall? With Will?" Bob asked, making Peter, El and himself a sandwich while Joyce dealt with Will.

Peter looked up, startled, but Bob sort of smiled sadly. "I know she doesn't want to tell me everything. She doesn't have too. I just want her to know she has someone to talk to when she's ready. If she's ready."

Peter nodded slowly. "I...kinda know bits and pieces. Not too much. I'm...new in town." Peter shifted, and winced, glancing at the towels packed on his leg to stop the bleeding.

"How'd you meet Joyce?" Bob asked, handing El a sandwich, who took it silently with a sort of nod of gratitude. Bob seemed to realize she wasn't much of a talker.

"I went into the store where she worked to buy some stuff. I lost my money so she bought it for me." Peter neglected to mention the tattoo.

Bob looked unsure. "That's it? She said that you were involved in this somehow."

"I mean...yeah. Not on purpose. Can we not talk about it? Please?" Peter asked.

Bob slowly nodded, handing Peter his sandwich. "Thanks." Peter said, chewing slowly.

*** *** ***

Peter jolted awake to the door slamming open. He had been dozing peacefully for the past few hours after talking with Bob, and his migraine had been starting to subside. Now it was back with vengeance.

It was the man from the cabin. "EL!" He yelled, sounding angry.

Peter heard shuffling behind him and turned his head to see El sheepishly shuffle out.

The man sighed. "What was the rule?" He asked.

El hung her head. "Don't be stupid."

"And were you stupid?" He asked.

She snapped her head up, shaking her head. "Saved Peter." She protested.

"Yeah, by being stupid." The man mumbled. "We're going to have quite the discussion when we get back, young lady."

El glared, stomping off. Peter heard the door slam, and it sent a spike of pain through his head. The man sighed, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it.

Peter groaned, grabbed a couch cushion and pressing it over his face to block the smell, to no avail. He felt nauseous. "Could...could you please not smoke that right now? My head feels like a metal spike is going through it and I might throw up."

The man didn't respond, but Peter heard him shuffle, and the acrid smell lessened. "Thanks." Peter mumbled.

"So. I hear your name is Peter Parker." The man said. Peter nodded, taking the pillow off his face. It smelled like old cigarette butts. Did every in the 80s have a nicotine addiction?

"I'm Jim Hopper, Hawkins' chief of police." The man sat down on what little room was left on the couch. "Care to explain why you have that little number on your arm?"

Peter jerked upwards, panic rising in his throat. "Who told you-"

"Joyce did," Hopper said, voice stern. "She was concerned that you're dangerous, which she has every right to be, by the way. So cut the bullshit, tell me the truth, and maybe I won't run you over with my car."

Peter blinked, a bit surprised by this until he remembered his interaction with El.

"Are...are you El's dad?" Peter asked in a small voice.

Hopper's eyes narrowed. "What's it to you?!"

Peter flinched. "I...I don't wanna hurt her. I don't wanna hurt anyone! I just wanna go home." Peter sighed, laying back. "I just don't think it's possible anymore."

"Where's home?" Hopper asked.

"Queens, New York."

"That's not too bad. A long ride, but-"

"In 2018."

Silence.

"Ah," Hopper said. He let the silence hang for a minute. "Those agents got your leg pretty bad. How about this; I'll patch you up, and you can explain yourself."

Peter Parker stared at him sideways, trying to figure out the man. Hopper sighed. "I'm not gonna hurt you if you don't hurt me, Parker."

Peter swallowed hard. "Deal."

Hopper stood up, rummaging around for supplies. "So I time traveled. That's a given. I don't know how, but...here I am. I woke up in the lab, and these guys asked me a bunch of questions I couldn't answer, and..." Peter trailed off.

"That's where you got the tattoo," Hopper said. He had a needle and flicked his lighter on to sterilize it. He glanced at Peter, seeming to catch his apprehension. "Let's skip the lab part."

"Awesome," Peter said, on the cusp of freaking out. "So I got out, and..." He trailed off. "I...might have broken into your cabin."

Hopper jerked his head at him. "You what?!"

"I was hungry! I thought no one was home!" Peter said.

"That's not an excuse! You..." Hopper sighed, threading the needle. "Just go on."

"I met El there, and she knocked me out because she thought I was one of them. The bad guys." Peter said, noticing Hopper's small, proud smile.

"After she decided I was good, she let me go. We talked for a bit, and then you came, so I had to go." Peter paused when Hopper peeled off the blood-soaked towels, examining the wound. It looked okay, just a deep graze, but it was still bleeding, although slowly. "You don't need to, you know. I heal fast."

"You'll heal faster with stitches. Hope you like yellow. Keep talking." Hopper set to work, and Peter clenched his teeth.

"S-so...I wandered around for a bit-ow-and I ran into Joyce, and she gave me some supplies and she saw my tattoo-ow ow! So I ran off. Then-dammit ow!- I ran into Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and their halfway friend Max, and Mike hid me in his basement. OW! Easy!" Peter yanked his leg away, and Hopper glared.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you stopped moving!" Hopper snapped. Peter flinched, forcing himself to sit.

"Do the kids know about the number?" Hopper asked, going back to work.

"...no. They think I got out pretty much as soon as I woke up." Peter said.

Hopper looked up, pausing. "Why?"

_Because the less they know, the less likely they get caught in a gunfight._

"It's...safer." Peter said.

Hopper looked up. "Safer?"

"These..." He sighed. "I've met a lot of criminals. Like, an obscene amount. Some of them are just stupid people who make stupid decisions. Some of them are just entitled. Some of them just want attention. But...sometimes..." Peter paused, thinking of Adrian Toomes, and the deadly serious, yet casual way he told Peter he would kill him and everyone he loved if he got involved.

"Sometimes there's someone different. They want something bad, and they want it badly enough that they don't care who's in their way. It could be me, you, or them, but whoever it is, they remove the obstacle because they just want their way. Those people are the most dangerous." Peter looked down at his hands. "And...those people at the lab are those kinds of people."

There was silence for a long time as Hopper finished stitching. He glanced up at Peter, who didn't look at him. "How do you come into contact with this many criminals?"

Peter smiled thinly. "I'm kind of a superhero back home."

Hopper blinked. "What? How?"

"I had powers from something else before I got here. That's why I don't think it really affected me." Peter looked up now, smiling. "I'm Spider-man."

Hopper burst out laughing.

Peter looked offended. "It's true! I'm pretty famous! I have a suit and everything!"

"Yeah? Okay, Spider-boy, where's the suit?" Hopper asked.

Peter turned deep red. "Spider-man, and...I left the suit in 2018."

"Oh, how convenient." Hopper said.

"It's true! Mr. Stark made it-OH MY GOD!" He suddenly jumped up, making Hopper fall back. "That's it! Mr. Stark is alive!"

"Stark? Like the industry?" Hopper asked.

"No no no no not Howard Stark. Tony Stark. His son. He's the one who made my suit, and made the portal that sent me here." Peter explained.

"That...doesn't sound like anyone you'd wanna find again." Hopper said slowly.

"No no no, he's super smart, even now. If anyone can help me break into that lab and send me home? It's him." Peter grinned.

"Sorry, did I hear you right? You wanna go back to that lab? Hell no." Hopper said. Peter's smile fell, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Hopper cut him off. "And how do you even expect to find him? He could be anywhere!"

"I can find him." Both Hopper and Peter turned to see El staring at them.

"How much did you hear?" Peter asked.

"Enough. I can find him. I can find Tony Stark." El said, looking at Hopper eagerly.

Hopper was quiet, then ran a hand down his face, looking exhausted.

"...fine. We can look for him. And after that, then we figure something out that's not a suicide mission." Hopper said.

Peter grinned, holding his fist out to El. She blinked, confused. "It's a fist bump. You do it when something good happens. Or...here. Hit your fist on top of mine-GENTLY!" Peter said shrilly as El brought her arm up to punch him. She gently bumped her fist on top of his.

"Now I do yours." Peter bumped the top of her fist. "Then we tap knuckles. It's like a handshake." He fist-bumped her, and El paused, thinking it over.

"Here. Try it." Peter offered his fist, and El carefully followed the handshake. "Superhero squad. It's like, our little club name. Since we both have powers."

"Superhero squad..." El said slowly, then smiled. She liked it.

Peter grinned. "Let's find Tony Stark."


	10. The Disguise

El was quiet, a thin trickle of blood running down her nose. The TV static crackled eerily, making Peter think of the movie 'Poltergeist'.

Except this was nothing like that.

"Do you see him?" Peter asked earnestly. They had managed to find an old newspaper picture for El to reference, but the picture was grainy and black and white. Peter was terrified she wouldn't be able to find him.

El shook her head, and Peter's heart sank.

Suddenly, El perked up. "I see him."

Peter jumped up, ignoring the dull pain in his leg and head. "You do?! What's he doing?! Where is he?!"

"He's...making something. He looks...mad." She said slowly, sounding cautious. Peter blinked. There could be a million reasons why Tony could be mad.

El suddenly flinched. "He...he threw what he was making on the ground."

Oh.

"Can you see where he is?" Peter asked. El paused, concentrating.

"...mitt?" She said slowly. Peter blinked. He had no idea what mitt would be.

"Mitt? Like an oven mitt?" Hopper asked, looking just as confused.

El shook her head. "No...mit. M, I, T." She said slowly.

Peter jumped up. "MIT! Massachusets Institute of Technology!" Peter whooped, overjoyed. El tore off her blindfold, smiling too. His glee was infectious.

"Woah woah woah, we can't just go to Massachusets!" Hopper said.

"Yeah, I know! I'm going!" Peter said.

"Uh, no you're not," Hopper said. "Who was bleeding out on the couch less than an hour ago?"

"I wasn't bleeding out, I would have been fine, I have enhanced healing-" Peter argued, but Hopper cut him off.

"Not to mention you look like you're about to collapse any second! You really think you're up to dodge the government on your little road trip to find someone who doesn't even know you?" Hopper asked.

Peter glared. "If I don't, I'll never get home!"

"Well then welcome to the 80s Parker, if you're that sure. NO ONE is going to Massachusets. Am I clear?!" He whirled around to El, who was suddenly quite fascinated with the carpet.

Peter clenched his teeth, glaring at Hopper. "Come on El. We need to go home." Hopper said, gesturing to her. El slowly got up, following Hopper out, casting an unsure look at Peter.

Peter waited until he heard the car drive away before he limped to the spare room where he had dumped what meager things he had on him.

He dug out the walkie talkie, turning it on.

"Hello? Dustin? Lucas? Mike?" He asked.

Radio silence.

"It's Peter, I need your help."

Silence.

"You know, Spider-man?"

Silence still.

Peter heaved a deep sigh. "This is Rogue, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear Rogue! What can we do for you?" Dustin asked.

"I need to get to Massachusets."

*** *** ***  
"What the hell are you wearing?" Dustin stared at Peter as he approached the locked high school on a bike.

Peter was still wearing his hoodie, but now he wore a baseball cap under it, with sunglasses. "What? It's my disguise."

"You're kidding right?" Dustin said.

"What? It's foolproof. I covered the hair, I covered the eyes, I obscured the face. What else do you want?" Peter asked.

"You look like you belong on America's most wanted. " Mike said.

Peter rolled his eyes, flicking his sunglasses up so he could see the approaching bikes. It was Lucas, flanked by Max.

"Lucas what the hell?! You brought her?!" Mike yelled.

"I had too! She was asking too many questions!" Lucas protested.

"Then don't answer them!" Mike snapped.

Max looked sideways at Peter. "Why aren't you with Lucas? Don't you live with him?"

Peter wriggled. "How much does she know?"

"Everything about last year. I didn't tell her anything about you." Lucas said. "But she doesn't believe me! So it doesn't matter!" He said quickly, seeing Mike's glare.

"You shouldn't be here. You'll get in trouble." Peter said.

"Then why are you here?" Max said. "Why are all of you here?"

The boys looked at Peter, who sighed. "I need to use the chemistry lab to make more web fluid before we go to Massachusets."

Max gave him a look like he was an idiot. "What the hell is web fluid?"

"I'll show you when I make it. Now, I'm assuming the school is locked." Peter said.

Dustin grinned. "Looks like you're gonna have to use your powers."

"My powers do not include unlocking doors." Peter said.

"Then rip off the door handle!" Lucas said.

"What?! No, I'm not gonna cause property damage!" Peter protested.

"Then I guess you're never getting into that school." Mike shrugged.

Peter sighed, rubbing his hands together and grabbing the door handle. "Stand back, I don't know if the metal will fly off." The boys shuffled away eagerly, while Max followed slowly, skeptical.

Peter squeezed the handle tightly, wincing when it put pressure on the bite from Dart. _So I got shot and I'm totally fine after a few stitches, but a slug bites me and I'm suffering? Of course._

"One, two, th-"

The lock clicked. Peter stopped.

El walked out of the shadows, wiping the blood from her nose. She opened the door, looking at Peter expectantly. He blinked. "Hopper-"

"Asleep." El said.

Peter smiled wanly, not wanting the man to find him and kill him. But they were going to need all the help they could get. Peter pushed open the door, letting the boys and Max shuffle in. Max looked at El, seeming starting to realize something weird was going on, only to scurry away when El sent an unexpected death glare her way. Mike trailed behind, waiting for El.

"I...I totally could have ripped off those doors if I wanted too." Peter said.

*** *** ***

To Peter's surprise, making the web fluid was the most relaxed he had been since he got here.

It was familiar, wonderfully so, and if he let his mind wander he could imagine Ned was next to him, whispering suggestions to him while jotting down notes for the both of them.

When he finished, Peter grinned, looking up at Dustin, who had volunteered to wait with Peter to make sure nothing blew up. "Ta-da." Peter said, showing off his newly filled web-shooter.

"Test it." Dustin said.

Peter sighed. He supposed he might as well. He aimed the shooter at a glass beaker across the room, and a line of silvery webbing shot out, sticking to the beaker. He yanked his hand back, and the beaker was yanked forward, and Peter caught it with a grin.

Dustin grinned back. "That's so cool."

"Yeah, it is. I wish I would be able to build another, but we don't have time for that. One will have to do." Peter stood up and then paused. "Hey, so...what's the deal with El and Mike?"

Dustin frowned. "When El was here last year, they got pretty close. Like, smooching close." Peter made a face, but Dustin continued. "I guess it's just kinda weird for them."

Peter nodded. "We need to go. Can't waste time."

"About that..." Dustin's face scrunched up. "I can't go."

"What? Why?" Peter asked.

"I...we all told our parents we were staying at Will's house for the next few days. My mom said no. I'm already sneaking out, I don't wanna blow our cover." Dustin looked upset, guilty for leaving the team.

_Is this how Mr. Stark feels?_

"Hey, don't worry about it." Peter grinned. "We need someone to make sure things back here are okay, keep an eye on Will. He's still acting weird. Can that walkie talkie reach us?"

Dustin nodded, looking relieved. "I think so."

"Cool. Radio us if you have any trouble. I'll swing back myself." Peter smiled, flipping his sunglasses back down.

Mike and El were talking quietly together outside the door. Lucas was taking practice aims with his slingshot, and Max was looking at El with trepidation.

All heads turned to Peter when he came out.

Peter smiled, adjusting his disguise.

"Let's rock and roll."


	11. The Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The formatting took forever you better appreciate it

_He was standing in an open street, devoid of cars or human life. Devoid of any life, it seemed. The air was thick with ash, and he wasn't sure if he was even breathing air or the bastard, twisted cousin of oxygen._

_What looked like slimy tree roots snaked through the ground, covering everything. The ground squelched disgustingly as he walked, unsure where he was going, but knowing he had a destination._

_He stopped._

_ **Boy.** _

_Red clouds surrounded him, a hurricane of death and rot. He wanted to scream, he wanted to run, but he couldn't move. The red clouds moved faster and faster around him._

_ **You wish to stop me?** _

_He didn't, he didn't. He just wanted to move, so he could run away, far, far away, somewhere where the voice could never find him._

_ **Stop your foolish errand. I am unstoppable.** _

_His hand hurt, oh it hurt so much, he just wanted it to stop._

_ **I will spread. I will conquer. And once I am done here, I will follow you back and breed my empire.** _

_He looked down at his hand. The flesh was bulging, moving, spewing blackened, infected pus. He wanted to tear his eyes away, but he was fixed to it, staring._

_ **I will not be stopped. I cannot be stopped. It is destiny. You are nothing but a foolish, reckless, child, and I will crush you as such. Do you hear them?** _

_He could. The screams and howls of approaching monster, coming for him._

_ **I will kill your friends. And then you will take me to your home.** _

_No._

_ **Yes. You cannot stop it. It has already started.** _

_His hand burst and a black, rotting tentacle spewed from it, wrapping around his neck, choking him._

_ **You will die, Peter Parker. You will all die.** _

_He couldn't move._

"Peter."

_He needed to scream, but he couldn't breathe._

"Peter!"

_He was going to die._

"PETER!"

Peter jerked awake, a kink in his neck. He looked around, panicked and confused before he remembered where he was. On the bus to Massachusets.

He could breathe.

Lucas was staring down at him. "We're here."

*** *** ***

Massachusets was entirely different from Hawkins.

The streets were crowded, there were all different kind of people, and even the air smelled different. Peter knew he looked stupid with sunglasses while it was snowing, but if it kept anyone from recognizing him, he was fine.

"So where's MIT? And what's the plan when we get there?" Max asked. She had somewhat come to terms with the weird things, but she still seemed to think that Peter was lying, and she gave El a wide berth. El and Mike seemed to have reconciled, walking side by side, in step with each other.

"Uh...the plan is to convince Mr. Stark to come with us," Peter said. "Except...I don't think I have to call him Mr. Stark? He's like your age now." It was weird, nearly impossible to imagine Iron Man as a child. It felt wrong like it shouldn't exist.

Peter winced at a cold breeze. Wherever they were going, they needed to go somewhere warm. "You guys hungry?" Mike offered, holding up his mother's emergency credit card. They had used it to get on the bus.

"Let's not use that unless we have too," Peter said. He paused, rushing up to a passerby. "Hey, uh, sorry, do you know how to get to MIT from here?" Peter asked.

The man glared. "Get outta my way before I call the cops." He pushed past Peter.

Peter sighed. "Thanks." He muttered.

"Hey, there's a map!" Lucas called out, pointing at a subway map. Peter glanced at it.

"Awesome. Follow me." He rushed down.

"How do you know which way to go?!" Max asked. Peter threw her a grin.

"I've been reading subway maps since before I could walk. Let's go!"

*** *** ***  
El wandered the massive hallways of MIT, trying to find Tony Stark. The group had split up among the school, trying to cover as much ground as possible. Her walkie talkie buzzed. "El, find anything?" Peter's voice crackled.

"No." She said into it. This was a very big place. Tony Stark could be anywhere. She still wasn't entirely sure why Peter needed specifically him to help him get home, but she didn't want to argue.

Something was wrong with Peter. She couldn't tell what, but it seemed like each day he was here he wasted away a little more. He was a little paler, his hands a little shakier, smile a little more taunt. Maybe he would keep wasting away until he simply disappeared.

Hopefully, this Tony Stark could help them avoid this. If not...

El turned a corner, reading the tag on the door. ENGINEERING LAB. She jiggled the door, but it was locked.

"I'M A LITTLE BUSY! COME BACK TOMORROW!" Someone inside called. El stared at the door, and the lock clicked. The door swung open.

A boy maybe a year or so older than her jumped in surprise. He flipped up a metal facemask, glaring at her, turning off a blowtorch. "Are you deaf?! I said come back tomorrow! How'd you unlock the door?!"

El blinked. "Tony...Stark?" She asked.

The boy folded his arms. "Yeah? So what?"

She turned on her walkie talkie. "I found him. In the en-gin-eering lab."

"We're coming!" Mike replied.

Tony instantly looked nervous. "Woah woah, what is this? Leave me alone, I didn't do anything."

El started walking out, motioning for him to follow.

"Uh, you want me to come with you? No way. Take one more step and I'll blowtorch you." He held up the blowtorch threateningly.

The blowtorch suddenly yanked itself out of Tony's hand, making him yelp. The flame turned on and off in warning, and Tony turned to El, white-faced in shock, seeing a trickle of blood running down her nose.

Tony gulped. "I...suppose I could take a stroll with you."

*** *** ***

"You're dumber than I thought if you think I'm going anywhere with you."

Peter and his ragtag gang were gathered around Tony, trying to convince him they needed him to come to Hawkins. They had given him minimal information, leaving out key parts such as Peter knowing him in the future, and the incident with Will.

"What? Why?" Mike asked.

"For one, I got dragged out by Miss Flannel here." Tony jerked his head toward El, who was hanging back near a water fountain, trying to wash the blood of her sleeve. "That's a no-brainer."

Peter sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, we had to talk to you somehow."

"And you're from the future? Prove it." Tony said.

Peter ran his hand through his hair. "I-I don't think that's a good idea. What if I mess something up?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "How convenient."

Peter was struck with how obviously Tony Stark this kid was. Same attitude, same mannerisms. Peter could see the gears whirring behind his eyes, trying to figure out his eyes, trying to figure out his next move.

On the downside, Tony's Asshole 'o Meter was now off the charts.

"You're just gonna have to trust me!" Peter said.

"And why do you need me to make a time machine? I'm sure there are a million other people who could do it." Tony snapped.

"It has to be you." Peter insisted.

"Why?"

Silence.

"...look, there's something weird going on." Tony amended. "But whatever it is, I don't want to be a part of it. I don't have time to be a part of it."

"Tony-" Lucas said, but Tony waved him off.

"Ah-ah! I'm talking. So, good luck with your time traveling, or whatever, but leave me alone. If I see you again I'm calling the police." Tony snapped, whirling around to leave.

And then Peter remembered the one thing that got through to Tony no matter what.

"I bet it'd piss off your dad." Peter said.

Tony froze. Jackpot.

"Right? Imagine this. He hears that you've been missing classes and no one's seen you. He comes here, you're gone. Then he hears you went to some hole in the wall town and races off there. You aren't there either. By the time he gets back, you're already here, doing your thing. He'll know you did something, but he doesn't have any proof. All he can do is glare. How does that sound?" Peter smiled.

Tony turned back slightly. "...and I can leave whenever I want?"

Peter sighed deeply. "Fine, whatever. Come on, guys. I told you he wouldn't be up for it." He turned walking away nonchalantly.

"Wait!"

Peter stopped, grinning.

"...I'll meet you at the main entrance in ten minutes," Tony said, starting to run down the halls. "And she doesn't sit next to me!" He pointed at El.

Maybe it was a coincidence, but at that moment, Tony tripped over his shoelaces.


	12. The Robot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys follow my tik tok @toad.in.the.road
> 
> anyway shit's about to go down

"El, is there any chance you can fix the bus?" Lucas asked.

El gave him a look like he was stupid. 

Lucas coughed. "Okay then."

Perhaps by luck or fate, the bus had broken down somewhere in Ohio through the journey in the middle of nowhere. The driver apologized profusely, and El had to stand right behind Tony to keep him from throwing a tantrum. 

"We can stop at a hotel for the night." Peter said, and Tony had moaned loudly. 

So that was why they were staying in a motel on the side of the road. Two rooms between the six of them. Which made it all the worse when the two girls realized that they weren't going to get along. Eventually, they had it figured out, and Peter was at least satisfied with the fact that Mike and El were in separate rooms. 

"Remind me again why we can't go somewhere that isn't infested with bedbugs?" Tony asked from the bed. Tony, El, and Peter shared one room, with Max, Lucas, and Mike in the other.

"Because we're trying to lie low. Keep your voice down, El's sleeping." Peter said. He was fairly certain that was a lie, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt. Peter could already feel bruises forming on his back from his jutting spine hitting the thinly carpeted floor, but El was exhausted. She had been running herself ragged with her powers.

And Peter was pretty sure if Tony didn't get the bed he would have lost his mind.

"Are you a fugitive or something?" Tony asked. 

"Something like that." Peter said, wrapping himself up tighter with the blanket.

"Did you kill someone?" Tony asked.

"No!" Peter snapped. For a bit, it was quiet, and Peter thought maybe Tony had given up. 

Then he heard whirring, and sighed, sitting up. "Tony, I am _begging_ you. Please be quiet. If you don't want to sleep, fine. But at least let me and El relax." 

"I'm trying to sleep. This relaxes me." Tony snapped. He was fiddling with some sort of metal motor that Peter couldn't really make out in the dark. 

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"A robot." Tony pulled a tiny robotic arm out of his bag, attaching it and flipping a switch. There was a low buzzing and the tiny robot sprang to life, rolling clumsily around the comforter, unsure of its direction.

Peter grinned. "Cool."

Tony glanced up at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's cool! You made that in just a couple minutes?" Peter leaned down to eye level with the robot, squinting to see it's intricacies. 

Tony snatched up the robot, taking it apart. "It's useless. It doesn't do anything." He said quickly. 

Peter blinked. "So? It's cool! It's kinda cute too."

"It doesn't have any use. No ones's gonna want it. No one's gonna like it." Tony grumbled.

"I like it." Peter said.

Tony scowled at him. "You don't count." 

Oh.

From what little information Peter had gleaned from 2018 Tony, he knew that Tony and his dad never really had a great relationship. In fact, they really didn't have a relationship. Probably not the greatest environment for Tony's rather fragile self-esteem. 

"You know," Peter said, pivoting his elbows onto the bad to keep the weight off his sore leg. "People are gonna say a lot of things. Especially to you, because of who you are."

Tony gave him a look.

"But...there's always gonna be jerks," Peter said, thinking back to years of torment from Flash. "But if you let it get to your head, then they win. The best way to get someone back is to prove them wrong. Your opinion of yourself is the only one that matters."

Tony was quiet, fiddling with the robot nervously. 

"Trust me." Peter hopped up on the bed next to him. "I wasted a lot of time caring about what people think and trying to please everyone. Turns out, life's at it's best when you only listen to the people who love you and want to build you up."

Tony was quiet for another moment. "That's...pretty cheesy." He said. He stuffed the robot back in his bag. "...thanks." He mumbled. 

"Anytime." Peter hopped back down, getting as comfortable as he could. This time, mercifully, Tony decided to stay quiet and go to sleep. 

*** *** ***

_DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER!_

Peter jumped up, heart pounding. The clock on the table read 3:00 AM.

_The witching hour,_ he thought ridiculously. 

He looked around, eyes adjusting to the dark. Everything seemed alright. Tony and El were still, and their steady breathing showed they were sleeping. He pressed his ear against the walls. All quiet with the other three, except for the sound of their breathing, and someone snoring.

_DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER-_

_ **GRAB TONY!** _

Peter shot a web out, yanking the sleeping Tony out of bed towards him. Not even a second later, the glass window to the right of the bed shattered, slicing the sheets.

Tony screamed.

"CIA, GET-" The man, wearing riot gear and holding a gun, didn't get to finished. He was sent flying out the window by a groggy but ready-to-rumble El. 

"Time to go," Peter said breathlessly. He pounded on the wall and heard the other three in their room shuffling awake. "Grab your shit! We're leaving!" 

"Why is the CIA after you?!" Tony asked breathlessly, grabbing his bag. 

"I'll explain later! El, you round up the others and meet me at mile marker 42! I'll hold them off." Peter said.

El's eyes widened. "But you-"

_ **DODGE!** _

Peter threw himself to the right, hearing a bullet whiz by his body. He turned, shooting a web at the gunman, sticking him to the wall by his hands, and covering his mouth.

"Is that stuff coming out of you?!" Tony asked. 

"Just go!" Peter shoved them out, breathing a slight sigh of relief to see Max, Lucas, and Mike in perfect condition. 

El cast him one last scared look, then started herding the other down the stairs, throwing a couple of agents off the stairwell. 

"Time to be Spider-man." Peter mumbled, using his webs to propel himself up onto the roof of the motel. 

"HE'S ON THE ROOF!" Peter heard bullets all around him, but at least they were aimed at him. He sprinted along the rooftops, occasionally webbing up an agent if they got to close to him.

_I'm not doing bad!_

Seemingly out of nowhere, Peter was thrown from the roof. There was a white, blinding flash that burned his eyes, and a bang louder than anything he had ever head. 

_Flashbang!_

He landed hard on his side, and he desperately tried to stand up, but his ears were ringing almost as loudly as the explosion, and his eyes hurt too much to open.

_DANGER!_

Someone grabbed his arm, and Peter yanked away, flailing wildly. Somewhere, amid the ringing, he heard threats to shoot him or shoot his friends.

Peter finally held his hands up, forcing his right eye open. There was a blurry scene of the boys and Max corralled in the corner, machine guns aimed at them, all yelling something that Peter couldn't understand. El was singled out, at least three different guns trained on her, looking terrified, blood running down her nose, and even some trickling out of her ears.

Peter closed his eyes again. 

_Well, I guess this is it._

_DANGER DANGER DANGER-_

_Yeah, I know, thanks for nothing._

_DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER_

_No use now, they got me. Maybe if I cooperate the others can get away..._

_DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER-_

_ **ROLL!** _

Peter ducked to the ground and rolled out of the way, and felt air rush by as something passed him. There was some sort of confusion, panic...

He opened his eyes to see one of the agents snatched away by something.

He heard screaming and gunfire, but whatever was attacking just kept coming. Peter scurried over to the rest of the kids, grabbing El and pushing them behind his back.

The last agent looked at Peter, yelling something. Maybe begging. Then he was snatched. 

It was pitch black. 

Then he heard it. 

A deep, guttural growling noise and he saw something moving in the shadows, just outside the street lamp. Then the lamp went out.

Peter felt something grab his arm. Tony, looking scared. "What the hell is that?" He whispered, his voice sounding like it was underwater. 

El turned to face him, defeat on her face.

"They're here." She whispered.


	13. Steve

"What the hell is that?!" Tony whispered hoarsely. Peter strained his eyes to see whatever was lurking in the shadows, but black spots danced before his eyes.

He could see the outline of something grey, slimy like it was covered in snot, protruding ribs in its side.

The street light flickered, and the creature roared, face opening up like a macabre flower, rows of teeth all over it, saliva dripping from its mouth, or what whatever you called it.

It sprang forward-

A bus hit it.

Peter jumped, hand going to his mouth in shock, instinctively putting his arm up to block the others.

"It can't be that easy." Lucas said.

The creature made a choking noise and then went still.

"It's that easy." Peter said in shock. He rushed up to the bus. The bus driver looked upset.

"Oh my God, did I hit your dog?!" He asked, horrified.

Peter gave a sort of huffing laugh. "That definitely wasn't a dog, you're good. Where's this bus going?" 

"Hawkins, Indiana." The driver looked back at the group of exhausted kids. "Y'all got family there?"

"Something like that." Peter said.

*** *** ***

"-you made it yourself?! What's the makeup of it?!" Tony asked excitedly, examining Peter's web-shooters.

After having gotten over the shock that he nearly died, Tony seemed to draw energy from the air, chattering excitedly. Same with Max, talking quickly to a sleepy Lucas. Mike and El had passed out on the bus.

"Stuff? I dunno...look, Tony, I'm really tired. Can I just sleep?" Peter asked.

Tony huffed. "Fine, fine...I'm gonna make myself some of those when I get back."

"I would advise against it. I have my other powers, you know." Peter replied.

"Those powers I've yet to see." Tony retorted.

The walkie talkie suddenly crackled, useless static coming out. Peter jolted up, grabbing it. "Dustin? Dustin are you there?!"

"Code red-" the voice devolved into static. Mike, suddenly awake, grabbed the walkie talkie, hitting it frantically.

"The battery died!" He said.

"What's a code red?" Peter asked.

"What do you think it is?! Something bad!" Lucas snapped.

"Do you have extra batteries?"

"I left my bag at the motel." Lucas said, and Mike shook his head.

"I can fix it."

Peter paused, turning to Tony, who was staring at Peter, voice quiet. "I can get it to work. Give me five minutes."

Mike glared at Tony. "And how do we know you aren't gonna call the cops or something?"

"I trust him." Peter volunteered. Tony blinked, looking surprised. Mike was quiet, and then slowly handed the walkie talkie to Tony, who immediately started taking it apart.

Peter only silently begged that he wouldn't be proven wrong.

*** *** ***

_Come on Stark, what's wrong with you? It's been three and a half minutes, and you're no closer to getting this thing running. It's a damn walkie talkie!_

But Tony couldn't. He knew he could fix it, but his brain seemed to have decided to sit this one out. He chewed his lip, bouncing his leg. His hands were shaking.

Fear wasn't a new feeling, fear in disappointing anyone, that is. It was constant, sky-high expectations weighing down like an elephant he always had to balance on his shoulders. Someone was always looking at him, waiting for him to mess up to swoop in and scoop up the mistake before he could hide it, running out to show everyone.

This was no different, except now the stakes were higher than ever.

"Are you almost done?" The ginger, Max asked.

"Yes!" He snapped, covering stress with irritation. "Now shut up and let me work!"

Max glared, flipping him off before sitting back down.

Tony felt sick. Dammit, why did he have to give himself a time limit?!

Peter elbowed him, and Tony jumped.

"Hey," Peter whispered. "Don't worry. It's just a walkie talkie. If you can make a robot out of scraps, you can fix a walkie talkie. I know you can."

Tony blinked, more than a bit shocked at the encouragement.

As if waiting for this, his brain suddenly turned on again, and he quickly took apart the walkie talkie, added and removed a few parts, and then put it back together. He handed it back to Mike and checked his watch.

Six minutes.

Tony bit his lip, ready for the inevitable disappointment, the groans, the silent glares, and worst of all, the static crackle of the walkie talkie, like a death sentence yelling _failure, failure, failure, failure-_

Mike turned on the walkie talkie.

"-code red, you shitheads! Do you copy or not?!" Another kid's voice who he didn't recognize rang out, clearer than ever. Mike whooped.

"Loud and clear Dustin!" Mike shot Tony a thumbs up, who blinked in surprise.

Peter grinned at him, elbowing him. "See? I told you you could do it."

Tony managed a smile.

"How far out are you guys from home?" Dustin asked breathlessly. "Is Peter with you? Are you guys okay? Is Tony there?"

"Yeah, we're all good. What's the emergency?" Mike asked.

"Dart ate my cat!"

*** *** ***

Steve stood on the outside of the abandoned school bus, twirling his nail bat. "Come you, you ugly son of a bitch." He muttered, eyes strained for any sign of the creature that caused so much trouble last year. The one that killed Barb and hurt Nancy.

Grass shuffled in front of him, and Steve froze, holding his bat high. Just one more second...

Something emerged through the bushes, and Steve charged, yelling at the creature. It started to turn to run, but he was on top of it, prepared to smash the bastard to pieces-

The bat was yanked out of his hand.

"Steve?!"

Steve stopped. "Mike?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Dustin told us to come!"

Steve scowled. "Dammit, that idiot..."

Dustin rushed out. "Guys! Are you okay? Where's Peter?!"

"Hey, Dustin." A skinny, sickly looking guy about his own age that Steve didn't recognize came out, holding his bat. Peter, he assumed. Peter offered the bat back. "Sorry, you were kinda about to kill Mike." He offered his hand. "Peter Parker."

Steve shook his hand, looking unsure. "Steve Harrington. Uh, how'd you get the bat?"

"He's Spider-man." Another voice mumbled, and a kid Steve didn't recognize came out.

"And who the hell are you?! How many people did you bring here?!" Steve snapped.

"He's Tony Stark, Peter needs his help to make a time machine." Lucas said, as though it were obvious.

"And why do you need a time machine?" Steve asked.

"I'm from 2018." Peter shrugged.

Steve sighed. He felt a headache coming on. "Of course you are." He turned around. "Okay, if you're under the age of fifteen, into the bus! We're barricading!"

"What? Why?" Tony asked.

"Because we're gonna kill Dart," Steve explained, twirling his bat. "That's what this thing is for."

"What's Dart?" Tony asked.

"He's the same thing as that thing we saw in Ohio." Lucas said.

Tony's eyes bulged. "And you bringing it here?!"

"Relax, it's only one. If Steve can take on a full-grown Demogorgon, he can handle a Demodog." Dustin said.

"A demo-what?" Max asked.

Peter shook his head. "Whatever, we gotta get going. You guys stay here-"

"Trouble." El said suddenly. She had been quiet since Ohio, but now she suddenly looked terrified. "They're in trouble. The lab."

Peter's teeth clenched. Tony shrugged. "Well, that's kinda good. We help out whoever's there, I fix the time machine, and boom, all done."

"It's...not gonna be that simple." Peter said quietly.

Steve groaned, swinging the bat at an invisible enemy. "It never is! Okay, Lucas, red-head, Mike, get on the bus. Peter, El, new kid, go do whatever you need to do and come back here when you're done." Steve glared at Peter. "I swear if you come back and they're in pieces-"

Peter grinned. He liked this guy. "Don't worry. I'm kind of a superhero."

Steve looked Peter up and down. "...yeah. Okay. Just be careful."

"I'm going with them." Mike said.

"Like hell you are, Wheeler! You're dead weight, you'll get shot in a second." Steve snapped.

"They might need a second pair of eyes! Who knows?!" Mike protested. "Dustin said Will was there, and he needs help. I'm the only one out of them who knows them! And what if El needs help?!" He paused, realizing his statement. "Or...Peter and Tony."

"Wow, I'm flattered." Tony muttered.

"I'll take him. I'll web him to the ceiling if he gets in trouble." Peter said. Mike looked at him gratefully, though didn't seem to appreciate the sentiment of being webbed up.

Steve sighed. "...you sure about this Parker? You look a little..." He gestured vaguely. "Bad."

"Trust me, I do this shit in between classes." _Except for the people who want to hurt you over and over again, and will take out anyone else with you. Except I'm gonna be right where they want me to be. Except-_

Steve nodded slowly. "Don't die." He herded Max and Lucas into the bus.

Peter offered his fist to El. "Superhero squad?" He asked.

She paused, and then dutifully completed the handshake.

"Superhero squad." She agreed.


	14. Missed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry in advance

Bob crept silently through the halls, heart pounding. He had volunteered to turn the power back on, despite the monsters wandering through the halls. He was pretty sure he had never been more scared in his life.

_Do it for Will,_ he told himself. _Do it for Joyce._

"Hey man."

Bob jumped, nearly screaming. It was Peter, the kid from the school with the hurt leg. He had disappeared, but Bob hadn't noticed, he had been busy with Will...wait, was Peter hanging upside down?

He was hanging from the ceiling from a silvery thread. Was that...spider-web?

"Remember me? Peter?" Peter asked, as though this was totally normal. Bob squeaked and nodded.

"Cool. So, uh, what's going on?" Peter asked, dropping down, landing easily on his feet.

"I...gotta...the power." Bob said.

"The power's out? Okay, I can be your backup." Peter said.

"You don't-"

"Dude, no offense, but you're gonna need all the help you can get." Peter said.

Bob gulped, but he couldn't argue.

*** *** ***

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Tony asked El. El didn't answer.

The girl still kinda freaked him out. She spoke as little as possible, her nosebleeds scared him, and her weird mind powers?

Cool, but scary as hell.

"No talking. Alright." Tony said, pausing as El took a quick turn around a corner. "You seem to know where you're going. Have you been here before?"

El nodded. "Wow! A response! Okay, are you one of the worker's kids?"

She glared at him, rolling up her sleeve and showing a tattoo that read 011.

Tony gulped, pieces suddenly coming together. "...oh."

She continued walking, and Tony followed. "So uh, is that how you got your powers? What about Peter?"

"Radioactive spider. But there's more now." El said, stepping over a dead body with way too much nonchalance. Tony sprinted to step next to her.

"More? Does he have more powers? He was here too? I thought he was from 2018?" Tony asked.

"Fell here, They got him." She glanced at Tony. "Now he's Peter and Twelve."

_That's not chilling at all._

"So uh, they experimented on him?" It felt wrong to say that. It made Tony want to leave as quickly as possible, lest he become the unlucky 013.

"Yes." El said simply.

"With what?"

She shrugged.

"Then how do you know they did something to him?"

"He's dying." She said simply.

"Woah woah, what the hell?! No, he's not!" Tony protested.

"He's dying. Can't you see?" She asked, pausing to look back at him.

Tony couldn't argue with that.

"So when were you planning on telling Peter? Because based on the way he throws himself at those agents, he doesn't have a clue." Tony snapped. _Peter can't die, that's impossible! Nothing can kill him!_

El looked back at him. "Would you want to know?"

Tony bit his lip. Why was he so upset?! He shouldn't be. He just met Peter. But all the same...

"So...what powers did he gain from this whole lab place?"

El didn't look at him this time.

"Ask him yourself."

*** *** ***  
"We got the power on!" Bob whispered into his radio.

"We?" An unrecognizable voice asked.

"Peter's back." He said.

"Oh, Peter!" There was Joyce's voice. "Are you alright, sweetie? Are you okay? How's your leg?"

Bob and Peter sort of glanced at each other. "I'm okay, Ms. Byers. Thanks for asking."

"I told you, Joyce is fine."

"Parker!" Oh shit. Hopper. "Care to explain why you went missing for a bit? Tell me you didn't go to Massachusets."

"I didn't go to Massachusets." Peter said dutifully. He was about to defend himself, when another voice spoke.

"Who's Peter?"

Silence. Peter didn't recognize the voice, and he was panicked. Was it a lab guy? Good thing he didn't mention El at least.

"Bob, several are coming your way. We'll meet you at the door." Hopper said.

"I can take them." Peter said. Bob grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy?!" He hissed.

"Look man, Ms. Byers needs you. You gotta get out of here. For her. For Will." He smiled thinly.

Bob gulped, slowly letting go of Peter's arm. "Stay safe."

*** *** ***  
El grabbed Tony's arm, pulling him behind a corner. He opened his mouth to protest, but she covered it.

Several of those Dustin-proclaimed Demodogs ran by, seeming to have a direction. The newly turned on lights flickered, and Tony smelled rot that made his stomach turn. "Mike's still hiding in the control room, right?" Tony whispered.

El nodded.

"They're going away from there, that's good. Who..."

They looked at each other, speaking at the same time.

"Peter!"

*** *** ***

Peter's hand hurt.

The flesh around his bite was shiny and swollen, infected with something. It throbbed with each heartbeat, and each time he was forced to put pressure on it, it stung like a million bees.

That dream...

He heard snarls and whirled around.

_DANGER!_

He webbed up a Demodog, jumping and sticking to the ceiling to avoid a bite from another. If he could just keep them distracted...

"Come on, you ugly bastards! Is that all you got?" Peter taunted. One jumped for him, and Peter webbed it's face-mouth-thing shut.

He hopped down across from the pack, whistled, and took off running, occasionally turning to web one up, or crawl on the walls if they got too close for comfort.

There was the exit. Peter grinned, waving at Tony and El as they rounded the corner, with Mike close behind them.

Tony looked terrified. "LOOK-"

Peter easily webbed up the last Demodog without even looking behind him. He grinned.

"See? Superpowers."

Bob chuckled, looking a bit scared. "Let's go, I-"

_ **Boy.** _

Peter's vision blurred, and he stumbled back, surprised. Bob looked concerned, saying something Peter couldn't quite hear.

_ **Your early victory is foolish. You are no closer to stopping me.** _

His hand exploded in agony, and it was all Peter could do not to yell. Joyce was there, flanked by Hopper. They were carrying Will. Was he dead?

_ **No. Not yet. I still have use for him. But not for him.** _

_DANGER DANGER DANGER-_

_ **If you cannot save the people around you, how can you save yourself?** _

_DANGER DANGER DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER-_

_ **I can see you, boy. You cannot escape your fate.** _

_DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER-_

_ **And neither will he.** _

_GET BOB!_

All at once, Peter saw the Demodog lunging in the air. He shot out a line of silvery webbing towards Bob, ready to pull himself to safety.

He missed.

The webbing stuck to the wall, and as the Demodog landed on Bob and started tearing him to shreds, Peter pulled himself with all his strength headfirst into a concrete wall. He heard screaming, but he couldn't tell if it was his own, Joyce's, Bob's, or anyone.

He heard Hopper yell his name, and Mike yell Tony's. Tony had broken away from the group and was kneeling next to him, shouting something. There were snarls and more howls, and Hopper let loose a blaze of gunfire. Tony covered his head.

The others ran, ignoring Mike and Joyce's protests. El looked too shocked to argue, and Hopper yelled something. Peter didn't hear, but Tony nodded.

For a second, it was quiet, and Peter started to get his bearings back, standing up slowly with the help of Tony.

_DANGER!_

Peter flinched, feeling something prick his side. He glanced down, seeing a brightly colored dart. His vision went fuzzy.

Oh no.

They were surrounded, and Peter stumbled forward, brain fuzzy. He felt Tony grab his arm, and he looked back, seeing Tony speaking but not understanding what he said. But he saw he was pleading.

_I just wanted to be like you!_

_And I wanted you to be better._

"Run." Peter slurred, and then the world collapsed into darkness.


	15. The Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry im late i was making tik toks

"-Peter, Peter, please get up."

Peter cracked open his eyes, giving a long groan. He was handcuffed and shackled. 

Tony was there, handcuffed and shackled too, looking near tears.

A hazy recollection came back to him.

"I told you to run." He said quietly.

Tony shook his head. "I wasn't gonna just leave you." 

_You die, and I feel like that's on me._

Peter sighed, squinting against the bright lights. They were back in the white room with the double glass where he first woke up when this mess first started. 

"What happened?" He asked.

"They got you and dragged us both back here. I think it's been a couple of hours. They took your other web-shooter." Tony explained, looking guilty about the web-shooters.

_The suit is all I am!_

_Then you don't deserve it!_

"It's fine. I'll figure something out." Peter lied. 

Tony looked doubtful, leaning against the wall. Peter shut his eyes, trying to block out the light. His migraine had returned. Had it ever really left?

"Are...you okay?" Tony asked hesitantly.

Peter cracked an eyelid open. Tony was looking at him fearfully, as though he might disintegrate. "Other than having a splitting headache and being trapped here, yeah, I'm just peachy. Why?"

Tony pursed his lips, looking at his hands.

Peter decided to leave it at that, closing his eyes again. 

"El says you're going to die."

Peter opened both eyes at this. "What?" He asked, not sure if he heard that right.

Tony was blinking rapidly. Tears? "She says you're dying." He repeated, voice wobbly.

"Uh, how did this come up?" Peter asked, more confused than concerned.

"I dunno, we were just talking-"

"El doesn't really talk Tony. And she doesn't like you."

"I know I know!" He looked truly terrified now. "She said you were going to die!"

Peter quirked an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, El's not me. Unless her powers include sensing rapid death, I don't think she's really qualified to make that call."

"Are you stupid?!" Tony snapped. "Look at yourself! How long have you been here?"

Peter blinked, surprised. "Uh...a little less than a week, give or take-"

"You look like a skeleton! A pale, sweaty, shaky skeleton who's really stupid!" Tony snapped. It was really hard to ignore how he was rubbing his eyes, despite his best effort to conceal it.

"I have an enhanced metabolism-"

"I don't think anyone's metabolism turns on them that fast."

Peter was quiet, an awful seed of doubt that might have been there all along suddenly blooming rapidly.

_Your headache never went away._

_That was the drugs! _

_Was it? And your leg hasn't totally healed yet._

_Still drugs!_

_Do you really think you can lose that much weight in a few days? Face it, Spider-man. You're on your way out._

Peter clenched his teeth.

_I can't die! I need to go home! I have so much left to do! It's not fair!_

_It's not fair that Bob died either, is it?_

"Bob," Peter said. Tony looked up, still on the verge of crying. "Bob. The other guy who got attacked. Did he...?"

Tony's silence was more than enough answer. 

Peter looked down, struggling, before he gave in, banging his fists on the ground with a furious cry with a strength that cracked the tile floors. His hand sang in agony, but it was too easy to ignore. 

Tony jumped, terrified. Peter slumped back lifelessly against the wall, covering his face with his hands, trying to quell the lump in his throat and hot tears in his eyes. "Dammit." He muttered.

_Did you kill someone?_

Tony's childish question seemed like a lifetime ago.

_Yes._

He heard metal clicking but didn't look up, knowing Tony was scooting towards him. "Please don't." He muttered.

"Don't what?"

"Say it wasn't my fault. Because it was."

"You didn't-"

"It doesn't matter!" Peter shot his head up, and Tony flinched. "It doesn't matter! I'm Spider-man, I'm supposed to protect people! People like Bob! Who're good people who have families and their whole lives ahead of them! People who don't deserve to bleed out on a shitty tile floor while being chewed on by monsters! I should have saved him!" His energy suddenly fled, and he slumped against the wall again, head in his knees. "...but I didn't save him. And now he's dead, because of me."

There was quiet for a very, very long time. 

"But you tried to save him." Tony said.

"But I didn't-"

"But you tried." He interrupted. Tony looked down at his hands. "I...I think that would be enough for Bob." His voice dropped. "I don't think you can save everyone, Peter."

"Then what's even the point?" Peter asked, not looking up.

"Because...for every person you don't save, there are a hundred more people you did."

_God, I sound just like my dad..._

"...El said they got you too. Like her." Tony said.

Peter sighed. "Something like that."

"...can I see?" 

Peter paused, then very, very slowly rolled up his sleeve, exposing the 012. 

Tony stared at it, seeming unsure what to make of it. "...maybe you can turn it into something cool." He suggested. 

Peter snorted. "Like what?"

"I don't know, I'm trying to make you feel better!"

Peter smiled in spite of himself, rolling down his sleeve. It was cold. 

"So what powers did you get?"

"I didn't get anything." He said.

Tony huffed. "Dammit. El said you did."

"El isn't omniscient."

"I'm pretty sure she is."

Peter sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position, surprised when Tony suddenly scooted close to him. 

"Are you sure you don't have any mind-powers now? Because that would be very useful right now." Tony said.

In spite of himself, Peter stared at the door. Could he? He had never tried, assuming the experiments did not affect him. But...

He glared on the door, concentrating all his energy on it. _Come on,_ Peter thought. _Open up. Open up. Open up. Open up._

He repeated the silent mantra, staring intensely. For a second, something unidentifiable inside shifted, something was coming-

Tony sneezed. 

Peter blinked, hand unconsciously going to his nose.

No blood. He didn't feel any different. The door remained closed. 

Peter shrugged. "Well, I guess she was wrong."

The door suddenly opened, and Peter felt terror jolt through him. Tony immediately stood up, staring down the man entering the room.

Brenner. 

Brenner looked amused by Tony. "Well, well. If it isn't Stark Jr."

"Don't call me that." Tony snapped.

"I wouldn't get so cocky. We have ways of hiding you in places even a man like your father can't find us. And it's all the harder to escape if you're dead." Brenner said.

"What do you want?" Peter snapped, standing up himself and in front of Tony. It was hard to ignore the dizziness. 

Brenner fixed his eyes on him. "Did you know we had to knock you out with phencyclidine?" He asked. "Just two milligrams is enough to kill a full-grown man. You slept off three milligrams in just a few hours." 

"You could have killed him!" Tony yelled.

"We're far more careful than that." Brenner fixed his crocodile smile back on Peter. "Now, come quietly, and nothing will happen to the boy."

"Peter, don't listen, he's bluffing-" Tony started, but Peter sent him a sharp glare.

"Just be quiet! I'll figure something out. And for the love of God, don't do anything stupid." Peter whispered.

"Peter, no-!" 

Peter gave him another sharp glare, and Tony fell silent. He hobbled to Brenner, who took his arm roughly. "Don't try anything funny. We have cameras, and my men can be there faster than you can blink."

Peter swallowed hard but forced a nod.

Brenner dragged him through the halls, and Peter tried not to panic. "How've we not been attacked by the Demodogs?" Brenner gave him a sideways look. "Those things, I mean."

"A different wing of our facility with better security. Only I and a few others know about it." He smiled. He led Peter into a different room, filled with guards, all armed to the teeth.

"Have a seat, make yourself comfortable." Brenner said, taking a folding chair. 

"What, no needles?" Peter asked, only half-joking.

"Not yet. I figured we could chat." Brenner said, and Peter reluctantly sat down.

"So, your name is Peter?" Brenner asked. Peter winced. He must have heard Tony. 

"I'm sure you've noticed by now that you aren't exactly in the best shape right now." Brenner said.

"I'm not dying." Peter snapped.

Brenner quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't say you were." 

Peter gulped. 

"But, say you were dying," Brenner said. "I would guess it's because you don't belong here."

"I would guess it's because you poisoned me, but go off I guess." Peter snapped.

"You would think so, yes. But we took blood samples." He leaned forward. "Your body is destroying itself from being in the wrong place. You didn't just travel back in time, son. You entered a different timeline altogether."

Peter blinked. "Meaning...?" 

"In a sort of way, you're from another universe." He smiled. "You're facing a very long, painful death, Peter. I wouldn't want to be you right now."

Peter clenched his teeth. 

"We can send you back."

Peter blinked. "What?"

"We can send you back. It's easy." Brenner said.

"And why would you want to do that?" Peter asked.

"For one, you're far more trouble than you're worth. For another, you have the information we need." He leaned forward. "I know you met Eleven. I saw her through the security."

"If you think I'll tell you anything, you-"

"What does it matter to you? She left you." Brenner said.

Peter opened his mouth and shut it.

"Tell me where Eleven is, and you can go home, scotch free." He leaned forward. "If you refuse...we have a new subject right in the other room. Do you need more blood on your hands, Peter?" 

Peter looked down, trying to quell his shaking.

Brenner's smile widened. "I'll give you some time to think about it." He waved at the guards. "Take him back."

Peter was dragged back to the white room, head spinning with death and betrayal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall i am absolutely OVERWHELMED by the amount of support. thanks for every view, kudo, and especially your lovely comments, i love knowing what you think
> 
> this story doesnt have too many chapters left, but i can assure you it wont be the end there 
> 
> love you


	16. Dum-E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys theres 2 chapters left

"So, can't you tell me a little about what happens in the future?" Tony asked, oblivious to his impending doom.

"It wouldn't matter. Turns out I'm from a different timeline altogether, so I don't even know how I'm affecting the space-time continuum." Peter said. 

"Then you don't have an excuse at all! Tell me about me. What happens to me in the future?"

_Well, your parents die, and after that, you become an alcoholic. Then you get kidnapped and tortured by a terrorist group, and you have to put a magnet in your heart to keep from dying. Then you almost die saving the world from an alien invasion. Then your house gets blown up. Then you get beat up by Captain America, and you don't tell me this but I can tell it hurt a lot, and I don't know why you won't talk to me about it, I only wanna help Mr. Stark-_

Tony chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

Peter shook his head. "It's...not too eventful." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "You...become a superhero."

Tony perked up. "I do?!"

Peter smiled thinly. "Yeah. Iron Man. That's kinda your whole thing, the bringer of world peace." 

"That's kinda the opposite of what the whole Stark deal is, you know." Tony said.

Peter grinned. "I think that's why you like it so much." 

Tony looked at him sideways. "...you say that like you know me."

Peter was quiet. "...I do."

"What?! You know me in the future and didn't tell me?!" Tony jumped up. "Why?"

"It's...kinda your fault I'm here," Peter said slowly. "You were testing a portal, and you let me see, and it kinda exploded and sent me here."

Tony frowned. "...I'm sorry. You can yell at me in the future for it if you want."

Peter laughed. "There's no way I'd do that. But thanks."

"So...is that why you needed me to make the time machine?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded.

"...how am I? In the future. With you." Tony asked.

Peter closed his eyes. "...I was six when you first became Iron Man officially. I thought it was literally the coolest thing ever. It was, for a long time. Still kinda is. When I was fourteen, I got my powers. You figured out my secret identity, and you came to me, offering me help."

Peter paused, reminiscing. "It...was kinda terrifying. All of a sudden I had this new, fancy high-tech suit, and it felt like there was all this new responsibility on me. But...you never got mad if I messed up. Well, you did one time, and I kinda deserved it." 

"What did you do?" 

"I...might've ripped a ferry in half. But that's not important." He took a deep breath. It hurt to talk about it. "But...you never talked down to me. You made me believe I could do anything."

"...I sound a lot like you." Tony said.

For some reason, it was all Peter could do not to burst into tears.

_God, I hope he never has to become Iron Man._

Tony stood up, pacing. "So you can break the chains and stuff right?" Peter nodded.

"We need to find a way out. But they'll see us going to the door. We need someone from the outside..." Tony stopped talking discreetly digging into his pockets, fiddling with something. 

"What are you doing?" Peter whispered. 

"The robot. I have a remote in my pocket. It has a 'come home' setting. It can maybe unlock the door. Just...act casual."

_If that's not Tony Stark I don't know what is._

"Break the chains when I say go." Tony whispered.

There was a quiet, torturous silence.

Then, a soft buzzing outside the room, and the door unlocked and swung open. 

The little robot whirred in, beeping proudly. 

"Now!" Tony yelled.

Peter snapped the chains with slightly more difficulty than last time. He immediately snapped Tony's, and the pair took off with just enough time for Tony to scoop up his robot. "Yes! Good robot, Dum-E!"

Peter felt a wide grin spread across his face. 

Alarms sounded, flashing red, and Peter looked around frantically. Where was the way out?! 

"There!" Tony pointed to an elevator on the left. Peter pushed him in, frantically pounding the button for level one.

"Come on, come on..." He muttered. The door started closing slowly, and gunfire peppered the doors. Tony yelped, ducking.

"Come on!" The doors finally slid closed.

*** *** ***

El trailed close behind Hopper, heart pounding. Peter and Tony. Every time she rounded a corner she was terrified she would see one of them strewn dead across the floor. 

She froze when something dinged. Hopper whirled around, pointing the gun at the elevator. It opened...

Peter stood, Tony, standing behind him.

El ran to Peter, throwing herself on him in a hug, trying to hold back tears. "Woah!" He said, stumbling back, then wrapped his arms around her. "I'm okay, we're okay."

She glanced at Tony. "Not dead?"

Tony grinned. "Not yet."

"We need to go," Hopper said. "El's gonna close the gate, and if we're lucky, Tony might be able to get you home." He glanced at Tony. "You up for that, squirt?"

Tony set his jaw. "Absolutely."

*** *** ***  
Peter wasn't sure how they end up staring at this so-called Dr. Owens, with Hopper tending his massacred leg.

"So, I think you'd do us all a favor if you let El try and, you know, live a normal life. One where she's not poked and prodded, like some sort of lab rat." He glanced back. "Peter too. He's not involved in any of this. He's just a dumbass trying to go home."

Dr. Owens stared at El, then Peter. "Don't..." He rasped.

"Don't want to? If that's the case, my end of the deal might have to be broken. I know a lot of newspapers who wanna hear about this-" Hopper said.

"Don't...know him." Dr. Owens pointed at Peter weakly. 

Peter's heart stopped. 

Hopper looked confused. "No papers on a 012? Come on, Doc. Don't play with me-"

"I swear...never...knew..." He looked at Peter, sudden remorse in his eyes. "I'm sorry." He choked. "I'm so sorry." 

Peter had to look down to conceal tears.

Hopper was quiet. "...let's figure this out after, shall we?" 

He stood up, motioning for the group to follow. 

They went down the stairs, the lights flickering eerily above. Hopper motioned for them to stop. "Stay here." He whispered. 

"No, I can help-" Peter stepped forward, but Hopper sent him a fierce glare. 

"I don't need another dead kid on my mind, Parker!" He snapped furiously. 

Peter froze. 

Hopper seemed to realize what he said and turned away. "Just stay here." He went through the hall, disappearing around the corner.

"Sara." El said quietly. 

Tony looked at her. "He...had a daughter?" 

El nodded.

Peter leaned against the wall, taking a shaky breath. 

"...do you think Owens was telling the truth?" Tony asked. "About not knowing you?"

Peter thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Then who...?" Tony trailed off.

"I dunno," Peter said, rolling up his sleeve, staring at the 012 branded on his skin. 

"I dunno."

Hopper poked his head out, waving at them. Slowly, they made their way into the main lab.

Peter froze, staring. 

Hopper's radio crackled. "Cheif, are you there? Cheif, do you copy?!" An unknown voice said. Hopper grabbed his radio.

"Yeah, I copy."

"...close it."

Peter stared at the massive, glowing red tear in the wall. The same tear that sent him here. 

He glanced at El, who was staring at him, her fist outstretched. He smiled. "I'm guessing you're going to fix that." 

She nodded. "...superhero squad?"

Peter's smile widened, doing the handshake. "Superhero squad." He agreed. "Good luck." 

Hopper pointed at Tony. "Start fixing this thing up so we can get him home."

"...will you tell the others I said thanks?" Peter asked. 

Hopper nodded.

"...thank you."

Hopped escorted El onto a sort of platform elevator and hit the button. It started going down. "Godspeed." He said.

Tony rushed to the control panel, looking it over before immediately setting to work. 

"You can do it Tony, just-" Peter was cut off from a hard blow from behind. Tony cried out in shock as Peter fell to the ground.

_DANGER!_

Brenner stood over him, fury written on his face. 

"Hello, you son of a bitch." Brenner spat.


	17. Hellfire

"Dammit." Peter gasped.

Brenner was like a cockroach, unkillable and easy to forget. Until he turned up in your bathtub a few hours later, sitting there as if he owned it.

"I offered you a chance, Peter. I offered you a chance to leave. I offered you a chance to be greater! And you threw it away, like the moron you are." Brenner snarled.

Peter tried to scramble up, but Brenner kicked him hard in the ribs, and Peter yelped.

"PETER!" Tony screamed.

"KEEP FIXING IT!" Peter yelled back, rolling away from Brenner. He stood up, tackling Brenner when he saw him striding towards the terrified Tony. 

Brenner grunted, thrashing away easily. He grabbed Peter by the shirt collar, punching him. Peter yelped, using the momentum of the next punch to duck and send Brenner flying.

Brenner got up, staring at Peter with the venom of a thousand snakes. "Get out of my way! I know Eleven is down there, and I'll be damned if I let you stand in my way!" He screamed. 

"Never!" Peter yelled. Brenner snarled again, stomping towards Peter, throwing off his fancy tie and coat.

Peter easily dodged the left hook, attempting to swipe his legs under Brenner to take him out. The older man stomped on Peter's shin, causing him to yelp and pull back. Peter heard roars below them. The monsters were back. 

"El-" He turned to look back, and Brenner kicked him in the abdomen. Peter felt bile rise, hunching over out of instinct. Brenner pushed him down, putting his foot on top of Peter to prevent him from rolling away again.

"You're a child!" Brenner yelled, drawing his hand back and punching Peter in the face. "A stupid, ignorant child!"

Punch.

"You're no hero!"

Punch.

"I tried to make you something greater, but you rejected it!"

Punch. Punch. Punch.

"You're NOTHING!"

A stomp on the ribs.

Brenner paused, panting, and leaned in close. 

"And now, 012, you're going to die." 

Brenner kicked him in the ribs and walked over to the elevator platform, fiddling with the buttons on the one next to him.

Peter's head swirled, barely aware, on his stomach from the last kick, eyes swollen and teary. Tony was shouting something, but the station was flashing red, and it seemed he couldn't leave it without anything going wrong.

_If I'm dying, this isn't the worst way to go,_ Peter decided.

_Sorry, guys...that was about all I had in me._

"Peter!" Somehow Tony's voice broke through the fog in his head. "Remember what you told me?! Prove him wrong, Peter! Show him you're Spider-man!"

_With what? My web-shooters are gone. I can't fight, I'm too weak. I already let Bob die. What's the point of pissing him off more?_

His eyes fell on a desperate Tony. He was crying, not trying to conceal it this time.

_I just wanted to be like you!_

_And I wanted you to be better._

Peter spat out a mouthful of blood, craning his neck off the ground. "Hey." He said hoarsely. Brenner, somehow hearing him, turned and laughed.

"Just stop. It was cute at first. Now it's annoying."

_You don't give up, do you, Pedro?_

Did Peter feel something hot in his gut? Vomit?

_I'm nothing without this suit!_

_Then you don't deserve it._

Peter forced himself to his knees, staring Brenner down. The heat built, spreading to more of his body, filling him with fire.

_Don't do anything I would do, don't do anything I wouldn't do. There's a little grey area, that where you operate. _

Peter took a staggering breath, stumbling to his feet. Brenner's mouth dropped, unable to stop staring. 

_Was this a test?_

_Yeah, you passed._

The heat in him built, almost painful. It was new, a little scary.

But above all, it was powerful.

_He sounds a lot like you._

He glared at Brenner. "Don't you dare hurt my friends."

The fire released. 

Flames exploded from behind Peter, racing towards Brenner and surrounded him with fury. Peter took a step forward, stretching a hand out at the slimy, disgusting walls covered in the stuff from the gate, and they burst into flames. There was furious squealing from the monsters below. 

"No...no!" Brenner turned to Peter. "This is impossible! You can't do this! Do you have any idea how much work you're destroying?!" He shook his fist. "You're just a child!"

Peter took a deep breath, flames waiting at his command. The concrete around Brenner was cracking.

"I'm Spider-man."

The concrete cracked, and Brenner fell into the pit of fire, a punishment long overdue, a gateway straight to hell that Peter made just for him. 

The flames dissipated, and Peter collapsed.

"Peter!" Tony raced to him, helping him to his feet. "Oh my God..." 

Peter reached up and felt blood running out of his nose. 

He wasn't sure how to feel.

"...it's done." Tony said. On cue, the gate turned to a light blue, even as it was knitting itself back together. 

Home. 

Peter stared, barely hoping to believe it.

He looked down at Tony. "...thank you."

In response, Tony wrapped his arms around Peter, bursting into tears. Peter hugged back, crying silently.

"Thank _you."_ Tony choked. He pulled away, scrubbing his eyes. "You need to go. El's closing the portal, and I dunno how long..."

Peter nodded, limping up to the edge of the guardrail.

"Will you remember me?" Tony called out.

Peter looked back. 

"It'll be hard to forget when I'm about to see you again." 

And he jumped into the gate.


	18. Home

"-Peter?! Can you hear me?!"

Peter cracked his eyes open. His whole face hurt. A blurry figure stood above him, looking concerned. 

Tony Stark. His Tony Stark.

"Mr. Stark!" Peter jolted up, hugging him tightly. Tony stumbled back, surprised. 

"Woah, you must have hit your head harder than I thought. You okay?" He asked, hugging back loosely. 

"Yeah! How long was I gone?!" Peter asked, letting go, taking in every wonderful, familiar angle of the world.

"Gone? You were only out a few minutes. You got hit in the face pretty good." Tony said, dusting himself off. The portal appeared to have exploded, sending bits of debris everywhere. 

Peter glanced at a shiny piece of metal and grimaced. His face was a mess of black and blue, one of his eyes swollen shut. Brenner really did a number on him...

"Your aunt is gonna kill me." Tony mumbled.

"I'll tell her I hurt myself patrolling. Mr. Stark, was it really only a few minutes...?" Peter asked. It couldn't possibly have been a dream. 

"Yeah. Why?" Tony looked at him. 

Peter opened his mouth to explain the portal, the government secrets that came with his new tattoo, the annoying but strangely endearing kids he met in the 80s, and the monsters that he suddenly wondered could reach here...

"Nothing." He found himself saying. "Just felt like longer, I guess."

*** *** ***

"Come on. Just look. There's not gonna be anything there. It was a dream. A really weird concussion dream." Peter muttered. 

It was very late, and Aunt May had gone to bed after suitably fussing over Peter's face, upset over the state of it even as it seemed to heal drastically in a few hours, along with some scolding about being more careful. Peter supposed he deserved it.

Now he was in the bathroom, phone flashlight on, hyping himself up to check his arm for a blocky black 012. 

"On three." He told himself in a whisper. "One. Two. Three!"

He yanked his sleeve up. 

There was 012, obvious against the pale underside of his arm.

Peter didn't know what to feel.

He turned his phone flashlight off and closed his eyes, concentrating. 

After a moment, a small flame lit the bathroom, illuminating him. A beacon of truth and mystery. 

A connection back to Hawkins, Indiana.

1984.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEHAW I AM SHOCKED. 
> 
> I got this entire story done in what, three days??? am i okay????
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU so much for your unending support. i had NO IDEA people would like an idea I lazily came up with in the shower so much.
> 
> If you have any questions, comments, or just wanna talk with me, please comment. i love comments more than i can say. 
> 
> i love each and every one of you.
> 
> Love,  
Emma (lovelyladiesxoxo)


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